Cape Fear

Lawyer Sam Bowden's life is finally getting back on track. He's working for a good firm, has a nice house in Georgia, and is back on good terms with his occasionall strained wife and somewhat troubled daughter. But all this is about to change, with one Max Cady. Just released from jail after a 14 year stretch, Cady has one goal in mind: to take revenge on Sam, his defense attorney all those years ago who buried evidence and got Cady sent to the slammer.

Martin Scorsese's remake of the 1962 classic (which I still need to see), currently the closest the man has done to an actual horror movie (until the amazing looking Shutter Island is released, of course) is a taut thriller that, while seeming to be a little hammy at times, is a real gem (and an underrated one at that, considering how often it gets brought up with Scorsese's other films).

The general plot of revenge you may already know, especially if you're an avid Simpsons fan (although Max is significantly more dangerous than Sideshow Bob…). Max begins to stalk and torment the family in various ways, all while just staying in the legal side of things. This causes old wounds to open in the family, which almost tears them apart before Max gets a chance to. It's all wonderfully shot and acted, and it has one of the more memorable scores out there (trust me, you’ll know it when you hear it).

The acting in particular is quite good. Nick Nolte as Sam Bowden has a nice Straw Dogs vibe going for him, an average, bookish man who's pushed over the edge. The wife and daughter do well enough (I was annoyed by the daughter for a while, especially at some parts at her school, but she definitely comes through in the end). Joe Don Baker costars as a PI hired by the family, and it's always nice to see him do good in a role to take him seriously in (Mitchell and MST3K screwed him early for me).

The real star of the show, though, is Robert DeNiro's Max Cady. He may seem like just some country bumpkin (played in a more than a little over-the-top manner), but that's just what he wants you to think. He's a dangerous psychopath, one who's a lot smarter than he looks, always two steps ahead, and who is hell-bent on getting his revenge. Because he wasn't just locked up for 14 years; he also lost his wife and daughter in the process (in a "dead to me" sense), and he's angry at how happy Sam seems. Yes, he is a murdering, abusive, rapist, but he almost makes a good case for himself. It's a damn scary villain and a damn fine performance by DeNiro (which makes it all the sadder when you see the schlock he's in nowadays).

It's a fine, twisted thriller that definitely needs more love. Though it may seem to drag in parts, the adrenaline-fueled ending really picks up any slack. Definitely a must-see for those who want to see a well-made, intense thriller.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe9o_IwY3Fs