Customer Reviews

Jericho Mansions

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

JERICHO MANSIONS is a complex, oftentimes frustrating, thriller set in a strange apartment complex in some large city. James Caan, in a very good performance, plays Leonard Grey, the withdrawn manager who never goes outdoors. One can tell from the beginning that there is more than meets the eye to this gentle, but strange, individual. The complex is peopled with a wide assortment of eccentrics: Genevieve Bujold, in a fierce and unusual performance, plays the owner of the building, who obviously has no like for her manager; Jennifer Tilly brings demure sexual steam to her role as the wife of a cheating husband who gets his head bashed in with a hammer. The other tenants include a lonely woman who loves birds and a Spanish woman with an abusive husband. Who killed the philandering husband? Trust that nothing is as it seems in this well directed little chiller, and the ending, though a bit confusing, is not one you may expect. From its weird and atmospheric cinematography to its bright color schemes, JERICHO MANSIONS is not your typical mystery, but one that may leave you wondering what you have just watched!

James Caan plays the live-in superintendant of a New York Apartment building who never leaves the premeses. His existance has been whittled down so that he has no experience of reality apart from the building. As the movie progresses, we learn that as a young man he was assaulted by his mother and her lover, leaving him with brain damage and loss of memory. It turns out that the apartment "owner" is none other than wicked stepmother who stole Caan's inheritance (the apartment building), his name and, in essence, his life.
This is an unusual movie in that James Caan is not the masterful, decisive figure that viewers have come to expect. Here he portrays a confused, vulnerable, and ultimately enraged loser, who finally learns how his life came to be wasted through the machinations of others. His portrayal of a man who slowly realizes the enormity of his loss and identifies the agent of his destruction is brilliant. This is an interesting movie for anyone but if you are a James Caan fan this is a particular gem.

I felt James Caan deserved an A for his portrayal of an incompetent building super & Jen Tilly was good as usual so why only 3 stars? This is a mystery & they do a great job of setting it up early. The longer the story goes on, the less likely the plot that is being revealed is. The final reveal is preposterous. The writer tried to hard on this one & it's a shame. The directorial talent & acting talent were available. The script was sub-par. 2 1/2 stars.

Caan, Bujold, and Tilly. Not a problem.
James has the ball and keeps it.
Genevieve is crusty and stunning.
Jennifer is Jennifer.
A somewhat confusing and surreal piece of cinema that manages to progrssively lose your interest. The windup is something that is justifiable for a 40 minute TV movie.
No doubt the director had some sense of coordination here but unfortunately it fails to translate.
Two stars for the effort.

fun movie, we get to see some good acting here and jennifer tilly never looked better. I am a huge fan of her, so i am biased.

This is a very unique movie, if you enjoyed the movie Identity you will enjoy this. If you didn't, at least rent it to check it out...and it's got James Cann!!

Look, I like James Caan, Jennifer Tilly and Genevieve - The movie's kind of slow - you don't find out everything until the end, however, you can certainly guess correctly at a lot of it. It was better than I thought it would be - I don't know that I'll keep it, I'll probably sell it - but I'm no worse off for watching it.

This is one of the most unique movies I have ever seen. It is twisted and once you think it can't get any stranger it just keeps going. Its kinda a murder mystery kinda a phsycological-Suspence. Jennifer Tillie is in it. Sciamma is the directer is and the camera angles and effects really go well with the theme of the movie. Go see it!