Dead Again

From the moment that the score for Dead Again began, setting the scene for a montage of newspaper headlines relating the tale of a great romance that ended in violent tragedy, I felt that I was entering a great Hitchcockian thriller. The black and white photography, accompanied by Kenneth Branagh’s solitary confinement crooning sets a mood that the film maintains throughout its runtime. Do you like North by Northwest? Vertigo? Of course you do, you cultured viewer and reader of the arts! Stop reading this, then, and go watch Dead Again. I can wait.

Now that you’re back, let’s talk about what’s great in Dead Again: the film takes what has become a trashy genre (the amnesia flick that has become a staple of Hallmark or Lifetime movies), imbues it with a dash of the paranormal, and pursues its crazy climax at the breakneck speed normally associated with the detective stories of Hollywood’s golden years. The film’s plot wraps the viewer around its finger and only lets them unravel in the final seconds. The fantastic performances, from both the leads and supporting actors, anchor the film, keeping the viewers curious and enthralled (although sometimes Branagh’s American accent sounds like Cheers‘s Cliff Clavin). Emma Thompson stands out, as always, portraying inner strength likes she’s made of the stuff and combines this with a dash of vulnerability – if the viewer watches the film from her perspective, Dead Again is much more enjoyable as a thriller and rewarding as a romance.

Dead Again is a delight and I can’t wait to watch it again!