I had been very eager to see this film, after seeing some of DePalma's other early, Hitchcockian films. "Sisters" was okay, a little rough around the edges. "Carrie," while not Hitchcockian in the sense of an homage, like the others, was absolutely amazing, and is one of the best films made in the 70s. I also sort of liked "Blow Out," though I had to see it on FX, and the commercials were a constant interruption. I even saw some of "Cult Movies"....God, was that bad. But anyway, what I really wanted to see was "Dressed to Kill." I had heard constant rave reviews, and it seemed like a great film.
We all know the "Psycho"-like plot: A woman (Angie Dickinson) breaks from her reality into seemingly another world, meeting a mysterious man in a museum, and subsequently going home with him. As she leaves that evening, she is murdered violently in the elevator, and found by another woman (Nancy Allen). Blah blah, you've heard the rest, and what a terrible synopsis this is, anyway. I wanna get down to the review, though, so let's move on.
"Dressed to Kill" is an amazing film. I saw the uncut version, with all the nifty extras mentioned in the "Alternate Versions" section. The opening shower scene is REALLY shocking, and the violent murder in the elevator is ruthless. Unlike the shower murder in "Psycho" the scene is so often compared to, this one is not as brutally quick. It takes its time, and while at first it's a little disappointing, as it progresses and the DePalma style sets in, the whole scene is terrific. In the uncut version, there are very close shots of Bobbi slashing the knife down Kate's face and I think slashing her throat as well. I'm not saying I like this sort of stuff, just that it's that much more horrific. I love when Liz (Nancy Allen) sees Bobbi's reflection as "she" stands in the corner, waiting for her, and, of course, everything is in perfect slow motion, pulling you right onto the edge of your seat.
Unlike "Psycho," after Part One (when the star is killed) the movie keeps up the pace and the tension. The scenes where Liz is pursued in the subway are tense, and a less-raw version of the horrifying scenes in "Maniac." (A sleazy, but oftentimes very scary movie!) Sure, the gang that Liz angers gets a little silly after a while, but DePalma seemed to be showing that there are other dangers in this world other than the central issue, and it's a creative idea.
The greatest scene, though, is the "Vertigo"-like scene in the museum. No dialogue, all music...yet so much is said, just in facial expressions and changes in the soundtrack. Pino Donaggio has a way of using very calm, beautiful music in such a way that it terrifies the audience. (Note the pre-pig's blood prom scenes in "Carrie" for more of this.) The scene is like poetry, and moves along beautifully well. I liked how Kate was wearing white, and the mysterious stranger was in dark sunglasses and clothes. Hitch did the same thing with Marion's lingerie in "Psycho."
The climax is a little cheesy (don't miss Liz's line about "assistance"--hysterical!) and throughout the movie, the killer is painfully obvious. Also, how did Dennis Franz find out so much information about Kate and her soiree with the man in the museum? *shrugs* I can suspend my disbelief. The acting is all-around pretty good. Michael Caine is great, as always. I loved Angie Dickinson--she deserved an Oscar for this very realistic, wonderful performance. She's not in the film much more than forty minutes, but she steals the show. Nancy Allen has her moments, but she's usually pretty weak in delivering her lines. Still, I liked her. Keith Gordon, as Kate's vengeful son, was very likable, but needed a haircut. Dennis Franz once again plays a detective, but he does it well, as always. The rest of the cast is barely in the movie, and Kate's second husband (can't even remember his name) is, I think, a purposely inaccessible character, perhaps to feel the way she does. He's even cast really low on the list. (By the way, Mary Davenport, also seen as Jennifer Salt's quirky mother in "Sisters," is cast here as "Woman in Restaurant"--where was she?!)
DePalma is an excellent director, and I wish he'd go back to making films like this, even though "Dressed to Kill" could only be made in the early 80s. He can master quiet horror (ie: the strangely horrifying discovery Kate makes from what she finds in the drawer of the mystery man's desk) and can pull off a full-blown scene of terror (ie: the elevator murder) equally well. He always puts together great casts of characters, and has a lot of great tricks up his sleeve. This is definitely one of his best films, and one of the best thrillers made in the 80s.
We all know the "Psycho"-like plot: A woman (Angie Dickinson) breaks from her reality into seemingly another world, meeting a mysterious man in a museum, and subsequently going home with him. As she leaves that evening, she is murdered violently in the elevator, and found by another woman (Nancy Allen). Blah blah, you've heard the rest, and what a terrible synopsis this is, anyway. I wanna get down to the review, though, so let's move on.
"Dressed to Kill" is an amazing film. I saw the uncut version, with all the nifty extras mentioned in the "Alternate Versions" section. The opening shower scene is REALLY shocking, and the violent murder in the elevator is ruthless. Unlike the shower murder in "Psycho" the scene is so often compared to, this one is not as brutally quick. It takes its time, and while at first it's a little disappointing, as it progresses and the DePalma style sets in, the whole scene is terrific. In the uncut version, there are very close shots of Bobbi slashing the knife down Kate's face and I think slashing her throat as well. I'm not saying I like this sort of stuff, just that it's that much more horrific. I love when Liz (Nancy Allen) sees Bobbi's reflection as "she" stands in the corner, waiting for her, and, of course, everything is in perfect slow motion, pulling you right onto the edge of your seat.
Unlike "Psycho," after Part One (when the star is killed) the movie keeps up the pace and the tension. The scenes where Liz is pursued in the subway are tense, and a less-raw version of the horrifying scenes in "Maniac." (A sleazy, but oftentimes very scary movie!) Sure, the gang that Liz angers gets a little silly after a while, but DePalma seemed to be showing that there are other dangers in this world other than the central issue, and it's a creative idea.
The greatest scene, though, is the "Vertigo"-like scene in the museum. No dialogue, all music...yet so much is said, just in facial expressions and changes in the soundtrack. Pino Donaggio has a way of using very calm, beautiful music in such a way that it terrifies the audience. (Note the pre-pig's blood prom scenes in "Carrie" for more of this.) The scene is like poetry, and moves along beautifully well. I liked how Kate was wearing white, and the mysterious stranger was in dark sunglasses and clothes. Hitch did the same thing with Marion's lingerie in "Psycho."
The climax is a little cheesy (don't miss Liz's line about "assistance"--hysterical!) and throughout the movie, the killer is painfully obvious. Also, how did Dennis Franz find out so much information about Kate and her soiree with the man in the museum? *shrugs* I can suspend my disbelief. The acting is all-around pretty good. Michael Caine is great, as always. I loved Angie Dickinson--she deserved an Oscar for this very realistic, wonderful performance. She's not in the film much more than forty minutes, but she steals the show. Nancy Allen has her moments, but she's usually pretty weak in delivering her lines. Still, I liked her. Keith Gordon, as Kate's vengeful son, was very likable, but needed a haircut. Dennis Franz once again plays a detective, but he does it well, as always. The rest of the cast is barely in the movie, and Kate's second husband (can't even remember his name) is, I think, a purposely inaccessible character, perhaps to feel the way she does. He's even cast really low on the list. (By the way, Mary Davenport, also seen as Jennifer Salt's quirky mother in "Sisters," is cast here as "Woman in Restaurant"--where was she?!)
DePalma is an excellent director, and I wish he'd go back to making films like this, even though "Dressed to Kill" could only be made in the early 80s. He can master quiet horror (ie: the strangely horrifying discovery Kate makes from what she finds in the drawer of the mystery man's desk) and can pull off a full-blown scene of terror (ie: the elevator murder) equally well. He always puts together great casts of characters, and has a lot of great tricks up his sleeve. This is definitely one of his best films, and one of the best thrillers made in the 80s.