johnlink ranks MALICE (1993)
MALICE is a movie I’d always meant to see. I’ll see anything in which Alec Baldwin acts a little crazy, and I’ve always heard that it is a pretty good thriller. So movie night this week gave us MALICE!
MALICE is the story of a young couple (Bill Pullman and Nicole Kidman) and their friend/roommate/doctor (Alec Baldwin). After a terrible accident happens, things begin to get a little crazy. Double and triple crosses ensue.
I watched MALICE (1993) at movie night on 4.2.09. It was my first viewing of the film.
NOTE: THIS RANKING UTILIZES THIS SITE’S ORIGINAL SYSTEMIC ARTICLE WRITING METHOD. THE METHOD BY WHICH THE RANKINGS WERE ARRIVED AT, HOWEVER, REMAINS THE SAME.
FILM
A well shot thriller. Nothing ground-breaking or spectacular, but the suspense is kept, and all of the payoffs are well set up. I like that honor comes before money for the hero. That’s not always the case in these 90s thrillers. SCORE: 6
MOVIE
Kept me guessing for the most part. A couple of the twists could be seen coming, but they paid off well anyway. Some great cameos kept things rolling as well. SCORE: 7
ACTING
Bill Pullman is better than average. Ditto Nicole Kidman. Alec Baldwin does his thing, which is always entertaining. Anne Bancroft steals a scene. Overall, the acting in this is well crafted. I especially appreciate the fact that certain things feel off-kilter just before the reveal happens. By that I mean, the actors knew what their character was doing from the beginning. Nothing felt completely out of left field. When Nicole Kidman turns cold, it is impressive. SCORE: 7
WRITING
Great script by Aaron Sorkin and Jonas McCord. I love the Bostonian references and I love the wittiness in the face of terrible things. Reminded me of A FEW GOOD MEN in the way that it surprised me with how funny it could be while being poignant at the same time. Not an easy task at all. SCORE: 8
FINAL TALLY
FILM:6; MOVIE:7; ACTING:7; WRITING: 8
6+7+7+8+0= 28
FINAL SCORE = 7
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