Review of Dead Again (1991) by Blake P — 14 Feb 2015

I haven't seen this film is year and it definitely holds up. I remember when I originally saw this in the theater that there was a real novelty value of seeing high powered Shakespearian actors Kenneth Branagh and Derek Jacobi in an what is very much a genre picture.

Having come off of his huge success with "Henry V," I suspect Branagh didn't want to get pigeonholed as a stuffy classical actor and wisely made something quite different with this Hickcockian thriller.

Branagh plays a PI who helps amnesiac Emma Thompson figure out who she is, but things get complicated when Thompson has repeated visions of a past life involving her, Branagh and murder. The film is a class act all around and Branagh delivers all the thriller good.

The script was written by Scott Frank, who only had one film credit prior to this, but who would later go on to write some modern classics like "Get Shorty," "Out of Sight" and "The Lookout.

" Matthew F. Leonetti gives the film a slick look (even if the black & white flashbacks to the past lives were originally shot in color, they still look great) and composer Patrick Doyle, who also only had a few credits before scoring films like "Brave" and "Thor," provides an exciting score.

There's also a fun and unexpectedly eclectic supporting cast that includes Andy Garcia, Jacobi, Wayne Knight, and Robin Williams. I think my main complain about the film is that it does seem a bit overly operatic at times, though that may also be part of the film's charm.

Regardless, it's a solid thriller with an amazing cast. And I do have to say that Branagh and Thompson look like a couple of kids in this film. When I looked them up on IMDB, they were both just barely out of their 20s when they made this film.