Review of Dead Again (1991) by Steven R — 29 Oct 2007

Buy into the ludicrous high theatricality of Branagh's film noir melodrama and you'll have a ball with this picture. Scott Frank's deliciously devious screenplay about reincarnation, murder and love relies on twists, turns and sudden revelations which he unwinds with the skill of master storyteller (so much so that you probably won't even notice his blatant cheats which allow reincarnated souls to narrate events they never witnessed).

His script fell into just the right hands with Branagh. An actor-director not generally known for restraint when it comes to the bold theatrical gesture, Branagh plays the material at full volume, taking it to the brink of hilarity - or well beyond, depending on your tastes.

In particular, the slow-mo finale with its black-and-white dissolves and frenzied operatic overture will either have chills running down your spine, or hysterical laughter bursting from your lungs. Either way, it's an experience.

The performances are all solid, but Derek Jacobi steals the show as antique merchant and hypnotist Franklyn Madson, deftly shifting between campy charity and predatory menace. Wrap it all up with a moody, classic-Hollywood shooting style (with plenty of nods to Hitchcock) and Patrick Doyle's cheeky operatic score, and you have all the ingredients of a minor classic.

The DVD commentaries are enjoyable, too - Scott Frank and producer Lindsay Doran make an hilarious double act. It's especially interesting to hear that the final cut is less unintentionally funny than some earlier versions - the original climax apparently had Jacobi slipping to his death on a slice of pizza.

I almost wish we'd seen that. Almost.