MÉTODO ASSASSINO (Method) I give *** out of **** stars for this intrigue filme starring Elizabeth Hurley and Jeremy Sisto as movie stars on the set of a new movie they are making. It is "movie within a movie" format, but this is unique because it plays out as though the movie within movie is already finished, including with beginning and end comments like "Based on a true story" and "Belle Gunness never apprehended for her crimes".
Belle Gunness was a serial murderess in America in the early 20th century. She advertise in newspaper (singles ad!) for nice wealthy gentleman and matrimony. When a man comes to her house, she kills him and takes the money. The film about Ms. Belle Gunness is nicely done and Elizabeth Hurley does a good job with the fiction role, even giving us a way to understand a desperation in Gunness mind that without money she will not be able to feed her daughter. I also liked how Belle does not trust men because of what her father did to her, and her husband.
Though not as good as Charlize Theron in Monster, Hurley makes for a sympathetic female killer.
Jeremy Sisto does good with 2 characters too, actor Jake and handyman Ray. As Jake he faces the conflict of Rebecka's mother having broken up their relationship with lies and manipulation. He marries a pretty lady and loves her, but will always love Rebecka more. His wife is outraged and leaves him, but he seems compelled to return to Rebecka's side, wary of her mother, convinced that she needs someone to give her another perspective. It was a bit less complex for Ray, a naive man who is hired by Gunness to work on her farm and duped into helping her kill the men and hide their money. He is easily persuaded by lust and Belle using her wiles on him.
Carmen Du Satouy is splendid as the atrocious mother of Rebecka. Like many parents, Mona lives through her daughter's achievements, and since her daughter only has lukewarm career and not stardom, Mona pushes relentlessly on Rebecka, constantly putting her down telling her she is getting old and her chance of stardom is fading fast unless she does perfect on this new movie. This is the same woman who broke apart the relationship of Rebecka and Jake years ago and even coerced Rebecka to terminate a pregnancy. As consequence of her mother ruling her life, Rebecka has had a nervous breakdown and now her mother and doctor have her on "nerve pills". What a horrible existence as a slave to her mother's ambitions. It is no big question why Jake feels protective of Rebecka. These are the surprising high points of the movie, which had been reviewed badly by the critics.
I take away one star because I think the editing was sometimes done poorly and makes the story nonlinear and confusing. I didn't know what to think of the scenes of Jake confessing to murder of Mona. A dream? The ending was very bad. The effects of the final scenes would have been fine if thought and skill had been applied.
Yet I find Method to be entertaining, intriguing, sexy at times and thoughtful. I enjoy it.
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METHOD