47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Maybe Not A Classic, But Thoroughly Enjoyable, January 22, 2011
"Mirage" is an absorbing and complex thriller about an amnesiac who is trying to piece together the past before he ends up dead. This is an overly familiar plot device now, but in 1965 it was all the rage (James Garner starred in a less sinister film called "Mr. Buddwing" the same year based on a very similar idea). Gregory Peck does a good job of looking suitably concerned and befuddled, and Walter Matthau provides needed comic relief. Black and white might've been a mistake; films built around crazy mysteries like this one just seem to cry out for color ("Charade," "Arabesque"). A more interesting leading lady might've helped, as well, because Diane Baker isn't gonna make anyone forget Audrey Hepburn. Nonetheless, this is a fun and somewhat forgotten film that will definitely hold your interest while it's on, and the DVD print is excellent.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE..., March 6, 2003
This review is from: Mirage [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This suspenseful, black and white film, redolent of Hitchcock, centers around David Stillwell (Gregory Peck), a man who seems to be suffering from amnesia and remembers very little about himself. He consults with a psychiatrist but finds little help there, as the psychiatrist accuses David of being in trouble with the law and trying to set up some sort of fake psychiatric defense, something which the psychiatrist wants no part of.
David then hires Private Detective Ted Casselle, engagingly played by Walter Matthau, to discover just who he really is. When David learns that he is being followed by two hard bitten thugs, with the unlikely names of Lester and Willard, menacingly played by Jack Weston and George Kennedy, events in the film start to really heat up.
As David begins to get flashbacks of a disturbing past that is trying to reinstate itself in his present, David finds himself getting more and more enmeshed into a life and death struggle of some sort. A woman named Sheila, played by the fresh faced Diane Baker, interjects herself into his life with warnings of danger that even the least paranoid person would be wise to heed. It is almost as if a cat and mouse game were being played.
As David begins to remember more about his past and the places, people, and events that were to bring him to his present state, David discovers that danger and deception is closer to home than he thought. This is an intriguing and taut film of psychological suspense that those who enjoy the films of Alfred Hitchcock will like.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
End of an Genre, November 11, 2001
This review is from: Mirage [VHS] (VHS Tape)
The 1965 film Mirage is a very good suspense mystery. It was filmed in location in New York City. In an era when movies were more commonly being filmed in color, this film was in black and white. It evokes the gritty cynical film noir of the fifties (bringing that refinement that is Gregory Peck). Peck plays an amnesiac who finds himself in New York City. He is trying to find out who he is while at the same time he is becoming increasingly aware that his life is in danger. Among the many aspects that make this film interesting and entertaining is the cast, which includes Diane Baker, Walter Matthau, Lief Erickson, and George Kennedy. Filming on location in New York City gives it a realism which adds to the suspense. This film should be more accesible for rent and sale. It may have been more in tune with the suspense thrillers of the fifties but looking back from our time it is a timeless example of the "innocent man" being pursued because he knows more than he realizes. All the actors do a great job with thier parts.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
