Customer Reviews

Deadly Measures [VHS]

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Action opens in an operating chamber of a Berlin clinic where young and unwed Anna Richter (Nicolette Krebitz) is about to undergo abortion surgery, but she changes her mind, fleeing into a nearby hotel lobby where she faints before being ministered to by an American physician and his wife, the Michelsons, who tell her they are also expecting a child, the first of a spate of plot coincidences, some of which have intriguing potential. Carla Michelson (Marita Geraghty) is not actually pregnant, but rather living a fantasy, having become somewhat unhinged after two miscarriages and, utilizing Anna's telephone number obtained from her in Berlin, the couple contact the German woman, offering her a position as "nanny" for their non-existent baby to be, to include a pleasant lee in their Malibu home for her and her infant, Lucas. Carla and husband Derek (Matt McCoy) have devised a Baroque plan to have Anna abducted and murdered in Mexico, thereby providing the Michesons by default an instant infant, Little Lucas, but while South of the Border Anna manages to escape from her would-be assassins and falls in with one Eddie Sanchez from Los Angeles who is also fleeing, and in his case from multiple sources of homicidal intent, none of which seems to be competent in the least, with a result that Anna and Eddie are able to return to a Malibu that is less than safe for either of them. For by this time, a rather bruised and bewildered au pair and her Mexican companion have discovered that their hopes for safety are waning since the California beach community offers but a dismal future for them, with the dangerous and obviously mad Michelsons at home. With no theatre distribution, being instead sent directly to video and titled DEADLY MEASURES, the film suffers from an overly complex screenplay that offers no solutions to its contained conundra, but rather gives way to Grand Guignol expedience during its hectic final scenes. It is apparent that as the direction flags, the storyboard artist assumes control with a series of violent set pieces supplanting the character development that had furnished the work with some interesting albeit less than memorable narrative. The affair is handsomely mounted and photographed, the Dolby Sound is superb, and there are fine performances from those players whom are not defeated by the substandard script, in particular Geraghty who earns acting honours with her highly effective turn as the crazed Carla, and also from McCoy, and Danny Nucci as a Mexican-American street gangster. Crisp editing is employed as as means of bolstering the film's foundation of logic pertinent to the sundry subplots, but overly strong emphasis is placed upon contrivances of synchronicity and this sinks the piece, notably during its risibly crude and clichéd closing moments.

Admittedly, "Deadly Measures" is an obscure German film few people will ever see. Its script is mediocre, lacks any type of credibility, and is simply a sort of spin on "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle." That Matt McCoy stars in both movies simply underscores this fact.

None of that matters. As the lead-role, Nicolette Krebitz, who plays ever-besieged young mother Anna Richter, is instantly captivating. Krebitz is an underrated German actress whose natural charm and beauty seem to be going completely unappreciated in her home country. Recent attempts to make a name for herself in Hollywood have regrettably floundered. She starred in a Matt LeBlanc vehicle titled "All The Queens Men" which saw limited and unimpressive release in America.

Her potential seems blatantly clear. As Anna, Krebitz plays a young German girl who is befriended by an American couple, Derek and Carla Mitchelson (Matt McCoy and Marita Geraghty), unable to have children of their own. Once Anna delivers a son, the couple scheme to have her killed so that they can raise the boy as their own. It is a dramatic plot that leads Anna through a series of misadventures in Mexico and Los Angeles. She is helped along the way by a street-smart Mexican boy named Eddie Sanchez (played by Italian actor Marco Leonardi) who has a secret in his past. Together, they make their way to Anna's son and confront the Mitchelsons in a climatic scene aboard their yacht.

There is something very improvisational about this movie. The main characters are not fully developed and a few from the supporting cast could probably be phased out to make the narrative-flow smoother. The vengeful father searching for Eddie is one example. Some scenes seem either unnecessary or superfluous such as the getaway sequence where Eddie and Anna flee in a pick-up, swapping insults in both German and Spanish. Nevertheless, director Nikolai Müllerschön keeps the story heading in the right direction and prevents the characters and scenes from drifting too far apart from one another.

The relationship between McCoy and Geraghty is sufficiently creepy, echoing the classical tones of Macbeth. While they certainly prove to be excellent antagonists, it is the chemistry between Krebitz and Leondardi that comes off as surprisingly pleasant to watch. They are an unlikely but very likeable couple. The sympathy of the audience is with them from the start and we really want them to get through it okay.

However, it is Krebitz who carries the movie. From the opening shot to the final scene, she provides us with a heroine who is so sweet and naïve that we can't imagine anyone wanting to harm such an innocent girl. The result is an intense empathy that keeps the viewer hooked until the very end. Who could help but love her? Every time she beams her charismatic smile, the enthusiasm just glows off her face. Krebitz makes Anna Richter the rare sort of protagonist who keeps an audience genuinely concerned for her fate.

In short, "Deadly Measures" may have only limited appeal as a film, but it remains entertaining from start to finish. Whatever shortcomings the script may have, they are supplemented by capable directing and a leading lady who knows how to lead.