Mystery Movie Review - Dead Again

 Some call this a neo-noir romantic thriller and others call it a psychological thriller. I classify it as a gothic mystery/thriller in the vein of Hitchcock. It was released August 23, 1991, in the United States, and October 25, 1991, in the United Kingdom. It was entered into the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival in February 1992.

Movie Blurb: "When a mute woman suffering from amnesia (Emma Thompson) arrives at the gates of an old orphanage, private investigator Mike Church (Kenneth Branagh) is asked to find out who she is. With the help of a hypnotist (Derek Jacobi), the woman regains her voice and recalls vivid past memories of a couple from the 1940s torn apart by murder. Church begins to develop feelings for the woman, who he calls Grace, and then discovers he has a connection to the tragic couple from the 40s."

What's It About?:  In the late 1940s, after the Second World War, composer Roman Strauss and pianist Margaret Strauss have a whirlwind romance and marry.  Something goes horribly wrong and one night Margaret is murder with a pair of scissors and Roman is convicted for the murder.  In modern day, a woman looking exactly like Margaret Strauss appears at an orphanage unable to speak and without her memory.  Private investigator Mike Church, who looks like Roman Strauss, is enlisted to find out who she is.  After some hypnotherapy, the woman finds her voice and relates the story of Margaret and Roman as if it were a memory.  She becomes convinced the modern day Mike with kill her like Roman had Margaret.  But there are twists and turns and more to the problem than just that. 

Written by Scott Frank

Directed by Kenneth Branagh 

Starring:

Kenneth Branagh playing dual role of Mike Church and Roman Strauss (1949)

Emma Thompson playing dual roles of Grace and Margaret Strauss (1949)

Derek Jacobi

Andy García 

Wayne Knight 

Robin Williams 

Hanna Schygulla 

The film cast includes three Oscar winners: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson and Robin Williams; and two Oscar nominees: Andy Garcia and Patrick Doyle.

Awards:

Jacobi was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Patrick Doyle, who composed the film's music, was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Score.

Rotten Tomatoes: 81% 

Reviews:

"[W]hile this film may not make literal sense in the harsh light of day, in the twilight, shadowy world of classic Hollywood this slyly inventive thriller is bravura bit of old fashion entertainment, done up with modern flair."  Sean Axmaker, Stream on Demand

"Be grateful for the genuine amusement Dead Again supplies. It may be cotton candy, but it's well spun." David Ansen, Newsweek

"His film is both a good mystery movie and a good movie-movie; its sheer "movieness" is what gives the picture its kick. As his career progressed, Branagh may very well have made better films than 'Dead Again.' But he never made another one this fun."  Jason Bailey, DVDTalk.com

"As the twists come thick and fast and the plot gets progressively more and more baroque, Branagh shows himself to be at least as intelligent as Brian De Palma in delivering over-the-top stylistic filigree." Jonathan Rosenbaum

Trivia (mostly IMDB): 

• Dame Emma Thompson and Sir Kenneth Branagh were married when this movie was filmed and premiered. They divorced in 1995.
• It was while making this movie that producer Lindsay Doran discovered that she shared a great love of Jane Austen with her leading lady, Dame Emma Thompson. She then asked Thompson to adapt one of Austen's novels for her next project, Sense and Sensibility (1995).
• This was Branagh's first real go at a sustained American accent, and he would go out in Los Angeles to practice it with strangers. No one seemed to notice or care.
• The home used as the Roman Stauss' mansion-turned-Christian orphanage is located in Pasadena, CA. They added the front gate and extra towers to maximize the gothic nature.
• This movie was shot entirely in color. It was decided during editing, however, that the movement between past and present could be made clearer by printing the Roman and Margaret scenes in black-and-white. 
• A lacquer box containing an antique pair of scissors, seen late in the movie, has Japanese characters on it that translate into "These are for you," a recurring line of dialogue in the movie.
• The convent is the same building that was used for exteriors of Bruce Wayne's house in Batman (1966).
• Two additional double roles (besides Mike/Roman and Grace/Margaret) are in this movie: the nun at the orphanage turns up as a snooty starlet at a party in the 1940s, and the cop at the mental hospital is seen again as an obnoxious party guest.
• When we first meet Mike Church, he's parked on the wrong side of the street. Most people thought this was a nod to director Sir Kenneth Branagh's British heritage. The real reason is because Branagh wanted some Los Angeles skyscrapers visible in the background.
• Being one of his few horror/thriller movies, Robin Williams didn't want his name to appear in the opening credits, as it might have misled audiences into thinking that this movie was a comedy.
• The scene with Grace and Mike walking along the lake at night was shot at Echo Park in Los Angeles three months after the rest of the movie. It was felt that the scene was needed to show the characters growing closer together.

My Thoughts:

I was completely invested in this movie and on the-edge-of-my-seat.  The few twists added to it and the noir feel with the black-and-white past shots and dramatic music propelled it along.  IMHO, this is a stylish take on a murder mystery that turns the genre on its head by introducing reincarnation to add to the suspense.  It's not perfect, but it was entertaining and I'll be going back to this one again.

The camera work is spot on and both Branaugh and Thompson give stellar performances, but Derek Jacobi (a personal favorite) and the three scenes with Robin Williams are fantastic.  I heard about this movie on a Facebook classic movie fan page and I'm happy I followed up and watched it.  

I heartily recommend.

Movie Trailer