From: ahall@sedona.intel.com (Andrew Hall)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews
Subject: REVIEW: RAISING CAIN
Summary: r.a.m.r. #01483
Keywords: author=Hall
Date: 12 Aug 92 17:02:17 GMT
Article-I.D.: cbnewsj.1992Aug12.170217.7006
Reply-To: ahall@sedona.intel.com (Andrew Hall)
Followup-To: rec.arts.movies
Organization: Intel


			       RAISING CAIN
		       A film review by Andrew Hall
			Copyright 1992 Andrew Hall

     After several years trying his hand at various types of films,
Brian De Palma is back in suspense business.

     RAISING CAIN, De Palma's first suspense film in several years,
opened at theaters last weekend.  The film stars John Lithgow as 
Carter, a crazed psychologist, and Lolita Davidovich (recently the
psychologist in BASIC INSTINCT) as his wife.  De Palma also wrote the
screenplay.  

     The film is full of suspense, but the first half of the film is
muddled.  Characters are introduced without much explanation.  Who are
they?  It takes a while to figure that out.

     Although we don't see the film through the eyes of any one
character, reality in RAISING CAIN is often distorted, perhaps to show
the state of the characters.  Much of the film is a swirling of dreams,
flashbacks, and character delusions.  Sometimes (perhaps De Palma's
intention), we have trouble figuring out what's real and what's not,
even after the fact.  

     The plot is unpredictable, and there are some great twists (of
course, sometimes it's hard to follow).  De Palma plays with the
audience quite a lot, too; several times, he plants information to make
you expect something and then does the opposite or does nothing.  For
example, I expected the "wrong man" theme but it fizzled out.

     De Palma once again pays homage to the Alfred Hitchcock; RAISING
CAIN strongly parallels Hitchcock's PSYCHO.  Though Carter isn't
"mother", his character is similarly disturbed (forgive the vagueness;
I'm trying not to spoil it for you).  One scene in the film is DIRECTLY
lifted from PSYCHO--Hitchcock fans will know it instantly.  I was
thrilled--I almost cheered when I saw it.

     And De Palma continues to use some of his own trademarks.  Look for
the *long* take in the middle of the film--through several floors of a
police station, through elevators, etc--that must have been technically
challenging (are you *sure* there wasn't a cut in there somewhere?)  I
liked the slow-motion climax less (similar to the "baby carriage scene"
in THE UNTOUCHABLES)--I think it could have been done better in full
motion.  

     Lithgow is pretty good as Carter--the character has many, many
dimensions (you'll see) and Lithgow plays them all well, sometimes
comically.  

     Although the movie started kind of slow and I found several plot
holes, the suspense sucked me in once it got moving.  Several scenes
sent chills up my spine.  

     There was also a refreshing refrain from excessive on-screen blood
and gore; most of the extreme violence takes place off-screen (unlike
recent slasher/thrillers like BASIC INSTINCT).  Thank you, Mr. De
Palma.  

     The ending is incredible--I loved it!  You may not, but I think it
was the best ending I've seen in a long time.

     If you like straightforward, typical suspense thrillers (UNLAWFUL
ENTRY), avoid RAISING CAIN.  If you like good suspense films that are
a little off-beat, go see RAISING CAIN.  It's not a masterpiece,
perhaps, but worth seeing.  

- Andrew Hall
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews