Fear
I saw Fatal Attraction not too long ago, but I didn't really like it that much. I thought it was probably good for adults, but it didn't scare me that much. Fear, a new film by James Foley (from TV's "Twin Peaks"), is a teenage Fatal Attraction, but I actually think it is better. The movie reminds me of another teenage stalker movie, and that is The Crush. However, this movie has several things that The Crush didn't have. One is a very good cast, another is a subplot that doesn't exist in most movies like these, and good visuals. As for the plot, it's just the run-of-the-mill stalker movie except with a couple of original ideas.
The cast of Fear is one of the highlights of the film. I'm not a fan of Mark Wahlberg (The Basketball Diaries), and for the first part of this film, I didn't think he was that good. He whipsered his lines so much that it was hard to understand him several times. However, it didn't last too long, and his performance turned out to be one of the best of the film. Although, I did notice that his accent faded in and out. However, the best comes from Reese Witherspoon, turning in a performance that really makes the movie above the average crush movies. She reminds me of a cross between Alicia Silverstone and Candace Cameron. I'm not sure if Alyssa Milano was the best choice for her part. She plays so many slutty roles, I guess trying to get rid of her "nice girl" image from her part on "Who's The Boss?" William L. Petersen and Amy Brenneman play Reese's parents and they do a terrific job.
There is a certain subplot that runs throughout Fear. It made me actually care for the characters, and made me care for the heroes this time (in The Crush, I was rooting for Silverstone). That plot is the family relations. The writer Christopher Crowe (The Last of the Mohicans) has written in terrific and realistic dialogue. I saw parts of my own family in that family. I've never seen a family written so realistically before. The father is very concerned about his daughter and grounds her. In order to get back at him, she sees the guy even more. The mother is caring and the son is annoying, just like my little brother. Even the dialogue that goes on reminds me of my family, including one line that opens the movie: "Save some hot water for your dad."
The technical quality of the film isn't bad either. The visuals are quite remarkable and it's enjoying to watch the film. The movie is dark yet colorful. The music also helps keep the mood of the movie. Carter Burwell, who also created the wonderful music for Fargo, has created a good soundtrack that undermines the overall tone of the film. Director James Foley directed the entire movie with great skill, but the only problem with the movie is that it is extremely predictable. I and everyone else watching it predicted several plot twists.
The movie is mainly a simple plot, though it has several subplots which make the movie actually pretty good. The movie is about Nicole Walker (Witherspoon), a 16 year old girl who lives a pretty normal lifestyle. She goes to school, and when out with her friend Margo (Milano), they meet two different guys. Walker meets David McCall (Wahlberg), a handsome and charming guy who falls in love with Walker on first sight. But of course, this love turns into a dangerous relationship as McCall begins to show his bad side. He beats a kid up for hugging Walker and he soon turns completely evil when the family begins to hate him. Walker catches him sleeping with her friend Margo, but Margo claims that McCall made her do it. Some critics didn't like the ending of the film, but I thought that everything in the film was leading up to that moment. I thought some of the events in the final moment were cheesy or could have been left out (one moment, especially, involving a dog). But it's a good vs. evil story, though predictable and usually not scary.
Fear is rated R. There is strong graphic violence and terror, sexuality (though no nudity), a lot of language, and drug use. This movie is definately not for kids, and I wouldn't recommend it for them. It might give them bad ideas. But so do lots of PG and PG-13 rated movies. I read that Fear didn't do so well at the box office. I'm pretty sure it was advertisement, because this movie is good enough to draw viewers, but it just didn't have the right trailers. I hope more people check this movie out on video, especially to see Witherspoon, not only for looks, but for her great acting ability. She can turn most lines into humorous ones, and I hope to see her in more (such as Freeway).