Customer Reviews

Malice

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Leonard Maltin, who usually agrees with me (!), gives this movie only 2 1/2 stars. The Amazon reviewer says it doesn't make much sense and is full of McGuffins! Well, they're both way off base this time. McGuffins? Try to come up with even one good one, and you'll have something that most thrillers don't have at all. Come up with several, as does MALICE, and you have a totally brilliant thriller. Yes, the serial killer subplot was thrown in--for laughs, maybe? No matter, it served its purpose of deflection, setting up the main character, and even -- horror of horrors! -- filling time while time needs to be passing by in order for the main plot to mature. The movie was touted as being from the same director who brought us SEA OF LOVE, which to my mind is an immediate turn-off. But it shows--as William Goldman shows so clearly in his books--that the same director can be quite different depending on the screenplay. MALICE has a great screenplay, so all the director had to do was film it. Of course, I exaggerate, but wait a moment--look who he had to work with: Nicole Kidman, Alec Baldwin, and Bill Pullman. Each turned in a totally outstanding, memorable performance. Pullman had the hardest role and he pulled it off. Kidman is one of the greatest actresses of our generation. Baldwin was good as usual, and we especially have to thank the casting director for choosing him for this role, which seems to be "pure Baldwin," if you know what I mean (e.g., most Bogart movies are "pure Bogart," as if there were no one else who could possibly play that role, including George Raft as Rick in CASABLANCA). And even Peter Gallagher shows up here in an early role that makes a strong impression. George C. Scott is perfect, as always, in a cameo role. Nicole Kidman does not seem to be all that impressive through most of the movie, but she's playing a role, and playing it to the hilt, as we find out later. She gets her chance to show what she can do in the last fifteen minutes, and you can see her incredible range, her ability to focus the film, the depth of her resources as an actress, which she exceeds only in her bravura role in TO DIE FOR. All in all, MALICE is one of the finest thrillers of the 90s, and my prediction is that it will become a major cult favorite and be reissued sooner or later on DVD.

MALICE is one of those movies that you simply MUST see more than once to believe. The first time through, MALICE is a great psychological thriller, with twists and turns through a plot that contains rape, murder, life-and-death trauma, and a fight to the death...all within the first 45 minutes. The second time through, though, provides a look at all the things you might have missed the first time around...and a chance to savor an outstanding performance from perhaps the most underrated actor in Hollywood, Alec Baldwin.

Bill Pullman plays Andy Safian, an associate dean at a small New England college outside of Boston that's currently under siege by a serial rapist who claims his latest victim as the film opens. Nicole Kidman plays his wife Tracy, a volunteer in the pediatrics ward of St. Agnes Hospital. They're renovating a Victorian house and need $14,000 for the plumbing. Enter Alec Baldwin as Dr. Jed Hill, a former high school classmate of Andy's, who's brand new in town and needs a place to stay. Andy needs the money, Jed needs a room, so the two hook up and soon Jed is sleeping upstairs in the Safiens' home...usually not alone, and his sexual escapades are grating on Tracy's nerves. The rapes continue, Andy is fingered as a suspect, and in the midst of it all, Tracy collapses with a ruptured ovarian cyst. Jed operates to save her life (after a night of drinking and wild partying), but renders her unable to bear children...leading to a malpractice suit from Tracy and an incredible soliloquy on surgeons with a God complex from Jed during the deposition.

But once the first half of the film is over, things really start to roll. Without revealing the rest of the plot, suffice it to say that as Andy, Tracy, and Jed all try to start their lives over again, their fates become inextricably entangled.

The movie is worth seeing once as a thriller. But the second time around, Baldwin's mesmerizing performance is what stands out. Jed is charismatic, seductive, and as charming as a cobra as he weaves his spell over the Safiens. Baldwin's ability to jump from utterly charming to incredibly chilling in the blink of an eye is on full display here; it is truly the performance of a lifetime.

See it once for the suspense, and again for the acting.

Proper enjoyment of this diverting little feature requires not knowing the plot twists, so I'll try to not spoil that enjoyment in praising this film.

I join Roger Ebert in not being able to think of another film that throws in a serial killer as just atmosphere - I watched this movie when it first came out a decade ago, then again on DVD yesterday, and I had completely forgotten the part about the serial killer.

Aside from the fact that George C. Scott and Anne Bancroft have left us, it would be difficult to assemble a cast like this wouldn't it? Alec Baldwin, Nicole Kidman, Bill Pullman, Anne Bancroft, Gwyneth Paltrow, George C. Scott, Bebe Newirth, Peter Gallagher all contribute to this film.

I love to watch films of any genre and any country and the sensation I like to have at the end of the viewing experience is "satisfied" - in the same way that I'd like my palate and belly "satisfied" by a good meal. This screenplay twists and turns, but rather than in a Charlie Kaufman "hey-look-at-how-many-unexpected-twists-and-turns-I-can-put-in" kind of way this story moves in a way that wraps up loose ends in a "satisfied" kind of way.

Especially used, this DVD can be had for a song also. It's a satisfactory way to pass a couple of hours.

If, like me, you somehow missed "Malice' when it was originally released, then you are in for a treat if you view it now.

Never being a really big Nicole Kidman fan, I discovered she was at the top of her game in this movie that is all about playing games with the viewer's mind.

Alec Baldwin was exceptional and convincing in his role as a doctor with a God-complex. Bill Pullman was cast perfectly for his role as loving husband. Ann Bancroft and George C. Scott gave sterling performances in key roles. Frasier's wife Lilith with Cliff's accent was adequate in a different sort of role for Bebe Neuwirth. Look for a young Gwyneth Paltrow as a troubled college student.

The star of this film was definitely the plot twists and turns. Though I waited, I never became so mired in their tangle that I had to sit back and wait for it to work out. I was much to busy being entertained by the maliciously delicious manner the paths of the story took from scene to intriguing scene.

Watching older films on DVD I have discovered that most of all I enjoy those that are a 'pleasure' to watch, those they provide entertainment and enjoyment. This film did just that and at no time was it a waste of my time, agreeable or otherwise. My DVD offers a choice of wide-screen or full screen formats. The color saturation was marvelous. There were not a lot of extra features, but the theatrical trailer was different and interesting.

Viewers who love thrillers will enjoy 'Malice' as film that has aged well, offers an excellent cast, and retains it ability to thrill and entertain.

I watched this again to see if I could pick up on 'where' in the movie I should've been clued in that things weren't as they seemed, and innocent characters were certainly anything but. I also realized why the serial killer had to be part of the beginning of the movie (something I didn't pick up on the first time). The murders led to a test that was 'necessary' in order to reveal one of the huge clues that becomes the turning point of the movie, and helps a couple of the characters 'wise up'. Definitely worth watching, mystery fans...
Chrissy K. McVay - Author

In "Malice" Nicole Kidman sets her mild-mannered husband (Bill Pulman) up against her darkly sinister lover, an utterly surgeon played by Alec Baldwin. For Professor Andy Saffian (Bill Pullman) and his wife Tracy (Nicole Kidman), life in their idyllic new England College town is no more complicated than grading papers and fixing up their old brownstone...despite a string of brutal murders targeting Saffian's female students. Calm is only broken by the arrival of the flamboyant Dr. Jed Hill, the new head surgeon. Hill allows himself a rep as a godlike surgeon with an almost satanic sense of self-confidence - a paragon among an exclusive club of doctors. (Not quite tolerant of dissent in the OR, Hill is quite explicit to an assisting doctor who dares raise the possibility that one life may slip through Hill's fingers. "I'm not going to like you", the intimidated doctor fearfully predicts. "Ofcourse you will", Hill says back smiling, "Everybody likes me".) Hill moves in with Andy and Tracy, making their lives a living hell with his partying, but Andy is too good natured to run him out, and Tracy seems to share a strange bond with him. Tragedy strikes before the domestic situation gets too complicated - Tracy collapses and is rushed to the hospital with ovarian cysts. Jed rushes to the rescue - from the neighborhood bar. While one of Tracy's ovaries has clearly gone bad, the other may be good but appears "necrotic". Unable to wait for a pathologist to determine whether the remaining ovary should be removed, Jed makes a command decision - an ultimately botched one. Though Jed has his expertise on his side, he sabotages his defense with the now infamous "I am god" speech. Tracy, though winning the case, seems more withdrawn then ever, and disappears completely. Andy, unable to let go of Tracy follows her, only to learn dark things about his young and apparently innocent wife.

It's really impossible to give more than that without spoiling it. "Malice" has its share of twists, though not very ironic ones - they exist as mere plot devices. The sub-plots don't always fit and it's incredible how trusting Andy is.

Still "Malice" is a treat, mostly because of its leads. Nicole Kidman is great as a woman who isn't what she seems, Baldwin excels because he is exactly what he seems and Pullman is great because he manages to morph into a truly determined character by the final reel. The last scene ends on a joke, one that makes you forget how contrived the rest of the movie is. With Ann Bancroft as Kidman's mother, an alcoholic wreck who's a wiz at card tricks; The lovely Bebe Nieuwirth as the local police chief with a Boston accent that makes her sound as old as Bancroft looks; Peter Gallagher looking much younger than he did in "American Beauty" as Kidman's lawyer; and the now late George C. Scott as a nice guy who mentored Baldwin's character but wasn't nice enough when it counted.

The serial rapist subplot is not unneccessary....it involved Andy (Pullman) being a suspect and the police taking a sperm sample to prove his innocence. Turns out he's sterile....which sets the storyline for Kidman's preganancy and the whole story line with Jed (Baldwin)....this movie was excellently done and some of the quotes (even beyond "I am God")are super memorable

It was difficult for me to rate _Malice_ on a 5 star scale because it is one of my favorite "turn your brain off and have fun" movies. I think every collection, no matter how lofty, needs a few boredom-buster, no thinking required flicks in it. _Malice_ would make a good addition to that section of your collection as it has to mine.

Without giving away the ending, the basic premise is this: A cute couple scrapes together enough to buy an old Victorian house. The husband, Andy (Bill Pullman), is a college dean and his wife, Tracy (Nicole Kidman), works in a daycare. The bills for renovating the home pile up and, proving that timing is everything, Andy runs into an old school buddy, Jed (Alec Baldwin). Jed is a suave, successful surgeon in need of a place to stay because he is new in town. Seeing an easy money source, Andy asks Jed to rent a room. He does and Tracy seems ill at ease with Jed there. Her abdominal cramps steadily worsen and finally she must be rushed to the hospital. Lo and behold, Jed is the surgeon who must operate on her damaged ovary. He takes both ovaries out and Tracy learns she will never be able to bear children. If that's not bad enough, she was a few weeks pregnant before the operation and the fetus aborted from the trauma of the surgery. Feeling angry that Andy consented to let Jed take both of her ovaries, Tracy leaves him and sues Jed. A multi-million dollar malpractice lawsuit is settled and the movie takes some odd turns. You learn that the unlikeliest of people are conspiring together and that someone thought to be dead is actually alive and well. True, a subplot about a serial rapist / killer is thrown in and though it may not seem to fit, it does provide a little extra element of scandal. By the film's conclusion, the loose ends are, in my opinion, tied up well enough.

In terms of judging the DVD, the sound and video quality are good. The theatrical trailer is interesting and the screen formats come in both standard and widescreen options. Subtitles are available in Spanish and French. (I think these are pretty much the basic options that come on all DVDs nowadays.) Watch for brief performances by Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Bancroft, Peter Gallagher, and Bebe Neuwirth. And if nothing else, buy the film for Alec Baldwin's delectably sinful "God-complex" speech. His monologue alone is worth the cost!

One of the best thrillers of all time.Exhilerating screenplay with so many twists and turns that it puts any rollercoaster ride in the world to shame. I recommend this movie to any thriller fan and it's a must in anyone's collection.Simply fantastic.Kudos to everyone involved.Thanks for a great time.

Tracy and Andy Safian (Nicole Kidman, Bill Pullman) are a young couple just starting out in life. He's an associate dean at the college and she's a teacher, and their big, old house needs repairs. To make ends meet, they rent out the upstairs room to an old high school classmate of Andy's, Dr. Jed Hill (Alec Baldwin). Tracy thinks he's impossibly arrogant but Andy likes him. One day, Tracy is rushed to the hospital with life-threatening pains, and Jed is the surgeon on call. His actions will destroy all of their lives.

This is one creepy thriller with great acting and a script that will keep you guessing - and on the edge of your seat. Baldwin is perfectly cast as the megalomaniac doctor. He's both attractive and repulsive and owns the screen. Kidman shows quite an acting range, going from ideal wife to something very shocking indeed. Pullman is Everyman, struggling to get by, doing his best, and being easily fooled. There is a scary subplot about a rapist on campus that is unnecessary, except to establish the close friendship between Andy and a hard-boiled police detective, well-played by Bebe Neuwirth. Anne Bancroft shines in a small part as Tracy's alcoholic mother. The story is fast-paced, intense, and full of surprises. If you like psychological thrillers, you'll enjoy "Malice."