Single White Female [DVD]

This is a really good film that is more than just a thriller, but a statement about identity as well. Barbet Schroder (Murder by Numbers) scales the lonely apartment building with his camera and shows the gargoyle statues perched on the ledge. There are many shots like this and a theme of a very small person in a very large and modern world that is close to swallowing up our individuality is explored in this disturbing thriller.

Bridget Fonda gives a sweet performance as the emotionally vulnerable Allie Jones. She exposes her heart in an intimate moment with her boyfriend Sam (Steven Weber) when she tells him, "Your the best thing that's ever happened to me". When she is forced to advertise for a SWF roomate another sweet personality comes into play as shy Hedra Carlson (Jennifer Jason Leigh) wins over Allie and moves in.

What develops is a slow evolving nightmare as Hedra subtly transforms herself bit by bit into Allie. Barely noticable at first it becomes more and more pronounced until Allie must fight for not only her identity but her life as well. Leigh is great as always and we feel sorry for her at first just as Allie does. She seems to have no life at all. Even when Allie thinks Hedra might be fooling around with someone in the apartment what she sees is quite different.

Hedra taps into all Allie's insecurities until she is in danger of dissappearing. A scene in the dark where Allie's boyfriend Sam is sexually fooled by Hedra before he realizes it is not Allie is particularly disturbing. Schroder seems to be pondering if one person has become interchangable with another in today's world.

The ending is violent and bloody but it has no other place to go. Hedra can't live as Allie if Allie still exists and Allie must overcome her fear in order to live. Both Fonda and Leigh work well together and each gives a fine performance in this lonely feeling movie that makes us think about our own identity.

This is a good film to watch late at night with the lights off. It has a lonely and eventually disturbing feel to it and will have you wondering the next day how easy it would be...

Single White Female is directed by Barbet Schroeder and adapted to screenplay by Don Roos from the novel "SWF Seeks Same" written by John Lutz. It stars Bridget Fonda, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Steven Weber, Peter Friedman and Stephen Tobolowsky. Music is by Howard Shore and cinematography by Luciano Tovoli.

When it's revealed that her partner Sam (Weber) has been cheating on her with his ex-wife, Allie Jones (Fonda) kicks him out of the apartment and advertises for a female roommate. She chooses Hedra Carlson (Leigh), who on the surface seems to be the perfect roommate. Smoothly helping Allie through her crisis, a real friendship is formed, but it's not long before Hedra starts to exhibit some dark behaviour patterns.....

The early 90s saw the "Woman from Hell" back in vogue in mainstream cinema. After the success and publicity of Fatal Attraction (1987), there was a period where you feel that sensible film makers wisely chose to let that particular film disappear from the film lovers memory banks. As it happens, they must have collectively chose 5 years as the cooling off period. For 1992 saw a wave of mad female on the loose pictures released. Led by the publicity gobbling Basic Instinct, films such as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Single White Female put bums on cinema seats and reopened the "Mad Bitch" sub-genre. Of the three, Single White Female grossed the least, which is strange since it's a better movie than the other two.

Schroeder's (Barfly/Reversal of Fortune) movie isn't a complete success, there's not enough development of the main characters and there's some unintentionally funny moments. But when it's good it's real good. Reeling off a number of memorable and often chilling scenes, film is further boosted by the psychological smarts in Roos' (Boys on the Side) screenplay. It helps that Schroeder has a knack for pacing, too, where he neatly simmers the plot until the spill over for the big finale. No disappointment there either, a good combination of genre staples is enhanced in impact by some unexpected character developments, and there's moments of genuine suspense to lure the viewer to the edge of their seat.

It's also stylishly shot by Schroeder and Tovoli (Suspiria/Tenebrae). Allie's Upper West Side apartment is imposing and expansive, with high ceilings, old time plumbing, a clunky lift and a dingy laundry in the basement. It's a different set-up for such a thriller, no picket fence harmony house or beach side residence, this is bustling New York, big spaces, but as it turns out, that means no hiding place. The boys behind the cameras get the maximum they can from the locale by blending imposing and ominous with grainy veneer and filtered light. On the acting front, the girls put great effort into making their thinly developed characters work, with Leigh doing a good line in progressive instability. While Friedman, Weber and a wonderfully naughty Tobolowsky, make the most of their secondary roles.

One or two obvious flaws aside, this still rounds out as a thoroughly enjoyable thriller. 7.5/10

Absolutely brilliant film & makes you careful who you would share your apartment with. She thinks she's found the perfect room mate & friend until she starts to take over her life & her identity. You really have to see this film!