Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Betrayed


Sometimes you are really lucky to catch in cable a movie that you haven’t seen with an actress that you simply adore. But what was a huge surprise is to see Debra Winger in a film by none other than Costa-Gavras. That was totally unexpected and as many of you can easily imagine the film has Costa-Gavras written all over even when is pure heartland American tale about farmers, about family, and about romance than suddenly turns into a dark tale of crime and white supremacy. Gosh, only Costa-Gavras could do a film so masterfully with a so American story, with American actors and in a USA production and (also very surprising) Japanese co production.

This 1988 film has a very beautiful and young Debra Winger playing an undercover FBI agent that infiltrates the family of what her boss believe is a high player within the white supremacy organization. As soon as she meets widower Gary (Tom Berenger) and his two lovely kids she dismisses what her boss is saying and she reports that there is nothing wrong with this family. But she’s forced to go back and keep investigating. She starts to fall for Gary and Gary for her. They are in love, but with love comes sharing and Catherine Weaver never expected what love will bring to her.

Don’t you think that the above sounds like a typical Hollywood romance movie? Well maybe I could think so if I didn’t paid attention to the opening credits and saw Costa-Gavras name. You have no idea of how good is this film for the story inspired by true events, the amazing Costa Gavras’s filmmaking mastery, the best Tom Berenger performance I have ever seen and one of the most impressive performances by outstanding Debra Winger. It was hard for me to believe that I have never seen this movie.

If you have the amazing opportunity to watch this movie please do not forget that is directed by Costa-Gavras and will never be your regular Hollywood fare, as has amazing actors expressions and deadpan faces that totally tell about what is going inside the characters, extraordinary cinematography that you can hardly believe it is a 1988 film, great storytelling pace (slow when needed and a little faster to increase tension for the unpleasant moments that will come), some great camera takes and the particular (and peculiar) Costa-Gavras directing style. All right, there is something that does not fit at all and I prefer to think that Gavras was forced to do; the film has an unnecessary and very Hollywood happy ending!

This was a great find for the director and for an actress that since she left Hollywood I have missed so much and I’m glad that lately she decided to perform again. A movie that I highly recommend to everyone that loves Debra Winger and Costa-Gavras; but be prepared for a “heavy” ride into white supremacist America, a ride that has a few killing scenes (2), but mostly has projections of feelings from what seems like regular folks living a regular farmers life until they don’t and what seems so not human behavior becomes normalcy within them.

Enjoy!!!

Watch clip @ Movie On Companion

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