Shadows of the Past (1991 TV Movie) User Reviews

A good Canadian TV thriller film

[robert-temple-1 · 7/10 · 4 April 2016]

This film was a Canadian-French co-production set in Montreal. It is a very good mystery story featuring the lead female character, played by Erika Anderson, as a victim of temporary amnesia following a serious car accident. Erika Anderson is extremely good in the lead and creates a very original interpretation of her character, as a free-wheeling, fiercely independent, and touchy young woman photo-journalist. She has recently returned from South Africa where she was 'doing a piece' on a white supremacist Boer group. She went off the side of a seaside hill into the sea in a car, but managed to escape through the window. However, she has been in hospital recovering from extreme trauma and terror. It becomes clear that the accident was a murder attempt made by a sinister man named Daniel Martin, played by Richard Berry, who manages to be suitably creepy. For the first part of the film we think he is dead, as he was supposed to have been in the car, but his body was never found. In fact, he set up the accident in order to try to kill Erika Anderson. He is still after her and tries to murder her in the hospital. But there is also another man with a gun who threatens her, as well as a woman named Sara who also wants her dead. Riding to the rescue is Nicholas Campbell, who plays a detective of the Royal Mounted Police (he drives a car, doesn't ride a horse) trying to protect her and save her life. There are numerous plot complexities, and some which I should not reveal because it would spoil the fun for viewers. There is plenty of treachery going on, and it turns out that the bags of smuggled diamonds which are eventually revealed are not the real aim of the big criminal scheme which is going on. I shall not reveal the real 'caper'. The film is ably directed by Canadian director Gabriel Pelletier. The film makes good viewing. I saw it on an old video and do not know whether it was ever issued as a DVD. These Canadian productions often do not get proper distribution outside Canada. The main standout aspect of this film is however the excellent Erika Anderson, who is really interesting and appealing, as well as a very good actress, and I cannot understand why she has not made 100 films by now instead of only 20. She seems to have abandoned acting altogether in 2000 after starring in a sci fi film called ASCENSION. What a shame.