On the fence (spoilers)


It wasn't terrible but wasn't great. It was kind of long and a bit boring at parts. I was pretty disturbed that she got loaded while she was pregnant and then drove her car in the pouring down rain over to her sisters house who said "are you drunk"? Though it was obvious she was the sister STILL could not think of anyone but herself as she kept saying "what about ME" as she allows her drunk pregnant sister drive off in the rain and get into a wreck.

Though the guy was savagely murdered in the end it did not seem that he was all that innocent and was involved in some shady business transactions. You never actually knew if he had been with the young Cambodian girl in the bar. Though he denied it it seems his morals were pretty questionable. That doesn't mean he should be stabbed to death, but his the husband who was wracked with guilt did not seem entirely responsible for his death as it might have seemed.

reply

Personally, I never thought it had a dull moment, but then I like arty movies with lots on intercutting usually and I think this one filled that bill, but not self-consciously. I just found it a with-it movie.

The drinking on Alice's part did seem out of character as she was always the well-balanced, careful one, the designated driver as it were. I don't believe we saw her partake of the pills at the party and I think we were left to believe she would not have knowing she was pregnant. However, she was apparently under a lot of stress, feeling she should leave her husband but not wanting to because of the kids and of course because she really loved him deep-down. Plus, she was working and trying to understand what had become of Jeremy, and then her husband was paranoid about people approaching which she did not understand.

I think the moral of the movie, though, was that everyone was guilty in some way ... Jeremy the most for indulging in his lifestyle but Steph for being the, as you said, sls that she was, Dave for succumbing to it. Alice seemed to have been the least guilty except for, as you said, her drinking and her stubbornness in going to the police against her husband's wishes. This is also one of those object lessons in that engaging in immoral behavior can bring its backlash even if you dodge many a bullet, you can still ultimately wind up with a bullet in your back even if that one wasn't meant for you, so I think you're right that Jeremy's death could really be laid at his own feet. Call it poetic justice, karma, your just deserts. For more on that, I would recommend reading John Grisham's The Chamber.

reply