Arthur Jamison (Anthony Hopkins) is a confident and successful attorney who enjoys a good battle of wits. He decides to off his wife (Blythe Danner) in favor of the latest in a long line of mistresses, and as he pictures various methods, he debates the pros and cons with himself.
This 1985 made-for-TV movie is all talk; it's witty and clever but also quite devoid of emotion and gets old after a while. Hopkins is very good in dual roles as Arthur and the devil's advocate with whom he discusses the merits of his plans. Danner plays the wealthy, somewhat scatter-brained matron well, but hers is an unsympathetic role. Swoozie Kurtz is the streetwise, off-beat mistress, an odd choice because she lacks any appeal or chemistry with Hopkins.
The movie is almost too clever for it's own good, being one long, somewhat tedious exercise in courtoom "What if? Although it's about murder, there is no suspense and I was glad when it was over. The legal language would certainly be of interest to attorneys and law students, however.
It should be noted that this DVD is an extremely poor transfer. It looks like a taped-at-home video. Neither the box nor the movie credits list the production company. If you're a Hopkins fan, it might be worth a look, but expect to be disappointed in the audio-visual quality.
This 1985 made-for-TV movie is all talk; it's witty and clever but also quite devoid of emotion and gets old after a while. Hopkins is very good in dual roles as Arthur and the devil's advocate with whom he discusses the merits of his plans. Danner plays the wealthy, somewhat scatter-brained matron well, but hers is an unsympathetic role. Swoozie Kurtz is the streetwise, off-beat mistress, an odd choice because she lacks any appeal or chemistry with Hopkins.
The movie is almost too clever for it's own good, being one long, somewhat tedious exercise in courtoom "What if? Although it's about murder, there is no suspense and I was glad when it was over. The legal language would certainly be of interest to attorneys and law students, however.
It should be noted that this DVD is an extremely poor transfer. It looks like a taped-at-home video. Neither the box nor the movie credits list the production company. If you're a Hopkins fan, it might be worth a look, but expect to be disappointed in the audio-visual quality.