Review of Dressed to Kill (1980) by Anders H — 10 Nov 2010
Hitchcockian gimmick?
WHY Watch?:
Only if you're in the mood for a Hitchcock thriller but can't find the actual thing. Depending on your taste, you may enjoy this. It definitely has the style and mood, but the plot is uneven, characters are poorly developed and the story as a whole is dissatisfying. Starts off interesting and has a fantastic twist by the end of the first third, gripping the audience; but from then on it spirals into a different movie with an implausible plot and cheesy cliche's. What starts off as a dark thriller ends up as a Nancy Drew mystery. Sadly by the time the decent twist at the end comes, the film is already too convoluted and hokey to redeem.
WHAT to watch?:
The references to Hitchcock's films-- shower scene from Psycho, art gallery from Vertigo, spying from Rear Window, etc.
WHO to watch?:
No one is sufficiently developed for us to care about. Again, promisingly deep characters at the start like Angie Dickinson's houesewife and Michael Caine's psychiatrist are supplanted midway by superficial caricatures like the crime-solving prostitute with a heart of gold, the nerdy science-whiz teen who pops up miraculously, the douchy police officer, etc.
This review of Dressed to Kill (1980) was written by Anders H on 10 Nov 2010.
Dressed to Kill has generally received positive reviews.
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