Review of The Grave (1996) by Jeff C — 16 Mar 2009

"Lured by sex, danger and a fortune in gold, would-be grave robbers Craig Sheffer of [i]A River Runs Through It[/i] and Josh Charles of [i]Threesome[/i] discover that some secrets are better left buries in this chilling suspense thriller. Gabrielle Anwar ([i]Scent of a Woman[/i]) also starts as the mysterious beauty who weaves her way into the center of murder, greed and betrayal...".

I first watched this highly underrated gem on HBO very late at night. I loved the dialogue, quirky characters, but especially the cinemtography and the excellent soundtrack. The plot has a few unexpected twists and turns, and is filled with dark comedy and noir elements, while injecting them in a neat tautly written package. The whole cast are excellent. Gabrielle Anwar, Craig Sheffer and Anthony Michael Hall, and even Eric Roberts and Keith David in a cameos, are all memorable and give great performances. Donal Logue is hilarious as one of the miscreant sidekicks caught up in the plot to steal the millions in treasure.

I'd highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoyed "Oh, Brother. Where are't thou", as it has many similar elements. This movie seems to have slipped through the cracks, as it is nearly impossible to find any reviews or mention on the internet. Hopefully more people will discover this cool late night flick.