Shattered (C or 2/4 stars)
Good Lord. Ever watch a movie so bad that it is kinda entertaining in how bad it is? Well, a prime example of that is 1991's erotic thriller, 'Shattered', directed by Wolfgang Peterson. The filmmakers must've thought this diverting, twisty-turny plot was clever ... but I found it ludicrous. Especially near the end {after a big reveal}, it takes a HUGE degree of 'suspension of disbelief' to stay with the story; but more on that later.
The film opens on a wonderfully eerie note. It is New Year's Eve and, while speeding along a fog-shrouded, twisting mountain road after a party, a married couple is nearly killed when their car flies off said road & careens down a steep embankment. The wife, Judith (lovely Greta Scacchi) is thrown from the vehicle; escaping with bruises. But the hospital soon informs her that her husband, Dan (Tom Berenger) is in a coma with severe injuries. He survives, and extensive plastic surgery to his face follows. But amnesia hampers his recovery. In time, Dan returns to his luxurious San Francisco mansion & falls in love with his wife all over again.
He also resumes his wealthy architect lifestyle with partner Jeb Scott (Corbin Bernsen) in an uber-successful property development firm. But Dan is troubled by splintered memories that spike in his brain; some involving an abandoned ship in a run-down marina. He discovers of a hidden roll of photos. He learns of an eccentric private eye named Gus (Bob Hoskins) whom he had hired prior to the accident. There seems to have been a torrid love affair - or two - that directly or tangentially affected Dan. One involves Jeb's wife, Jenny (Joanne Whalley). And a mysterious man named Jack Stanton (Scott Getlin) is involved in the 2nd affair that I mentioned. Convoluted chaos ensues as Dan tries to piece together the lascivious puzzle of his prior life.
So this is one of most asinine movies I've ever seen, haha. And yet, it is worth a watch just laugh your butt off at the absurdity of it all. It is a riot how bad it is; thanks to the engagingly preposterous way the plot unfolds near the end. Wolfgang Petersen's direction is portentous, shadowy & voyeuristic, but my gosh, the main twist that occurs inside the abandoned ship is as implausible as it gets. Without getting TOO spoilery here, there is a revelation about a certain character that - IN THE REAL WORLD - would never fly, because characters who KNOW that person in question would realize straight away that something was not quite right with him {their hair color, the sound of their voice, etc}. Gosh, it's just so ... STUPID.
Another issue is the vapidness of the characters. What in the world is really going on inside Greta Scacchi's head!? She's beautiful & a good actress, but the script does her character no favors. Similarly, Tom Berenger is devoid of any personality whatsoever. And both his line readings + the looks on his bewildered face throughout the film make you wonder how the actor ever got started in Hollywood. Best in the cast is Bob Hoskins' persistent P.I. with a love for animals -- but a bogus explanation for how his character survives a bullet wound is knee-slappingly hysterical. At best, 'Shattered' offers escapist entertainment. But this really is an "F/Zero" type of movie that I'm rating a C for having been entertained by its awfulness.
The film opens on a wonderfully eerie note. It is New Year's Eve and, while speeding along a fog-shrouded, twisting mountain road after a party, a married couple is nearly killed when their car flies off said road & careens down a steep embankment. The wife, Judith (lovely Greta Scacchi) is thrown from the vehicle; escaping with bruises. But the hospital soon informs her that her husband, Dan (Tom Berenger) is in a coma with severe injuries. He survives, and extensive plastic surgery to his face follows. But amnesia hampers his recovery. In time, Dan returns to his luxurious San Francisco mansion & falls in love with his wife all over again.
He also resumes his wealthy architect lifestyle with partner Jeb Scott (Corbin Bernsen) in an uber-successful property development firm. But Dan is troubled by splintered memories that spike in his brain; some involving an abandoned ship in a run-down marina. He discovers of a hidden roll of photos. He learns of an eccentric private eye named Gus (Bob Hoskins) whom he had hired prior to the accident. There seems to have been a torrid love affair - or two - that directly or tangentially affected Dan. One involves Jeb's wife, Jenny (Joanne Whalley). And a mysterious man named Jack Stanton (Scott Getlin) is involved in the 2nd affair that I mentioned. Convoluted chaos ensues as Dan tries to piece together the lascivious puzzle of his prior life.
So this is one of most asinine movies I've ever seen, haha. And yet, it is worth a watch just laugh your butt off at the absurdity of it all. It is a riot how bad it is; thanks to the engagingly preposterous way the plot unfolds near the end. Wolfgang Petersen's direction is portentous, shadowy & voyeuristic, but my gosh, the main twist that occurs inside the abandoned ship is as implausible as it gets. Without getting TOO spoilery here, there is a revelation about a certain character that - IN THE REAL WORLD - would never fly, because characters who KNOW that person in question would realize straight away that something was not quite right with him {their hair color, the sound of their voice, etc}. Gosh, it's just so ... STUPID.
Another issue is the vapidness of the characters. What in the world is really going on inside Greta Scacchi's head!? She's beautiful & a good actress, but the script does her character no favors. Similarly, Tom Berenger is devoid of any personality whatsoever. And both his line readings + the looks on his bewildered face throughout the film make you wonder how the actor ever got started in Hollywood. Best in the cast is Bob Hoskins' persistent P.I. with a love for animals -- but a bogus explanation for how his character survives a bullet wound is knee-slappingly hysterical. At best, 'Shattered' offers escapist entertainment. But this really is an "F/Zero" type of movie that I'm rating a C for having been entertained by its awfulness.