BEFORE: Woody Allen carries over as an actor again, as does David Ogden Stiers. I'm skipping another few films from the late 1990's that I've seen already: "Deconstructing Harry", "Celebrity", "Sweet and Lowdown" and "Small Time Crooks". But no more skipping after tonight - it's a straight shot to the end of Allen's filmography, 12 more films.
THE PLOT: An insurance investigator and an efficency expert who hate each other are both hypnotized by a crooked hypnotist with a jade scorpion into stealing jewels.
AFTER: Tonight it's a return to the 1930's ("Shadows and Fog", "Radio Days") and the use of hypnotism as a story device ("Alice"). I see this as a continuation of the magic herbs in "Alice" and the magic tricks seen in "Shadows and Fog".
For this to work, you have to be willing to believe that hypnotism can work, that someone can be given a subconscious suggestion to do something that might be against their nature. Can someone be made to commit a crime, for example, and then be made to forget that they did it, via another hypnotic suggestion?
I'd like to see someone like the Mythbusters investigate whether hypnotism works - people use it to quit smoking or lose weight, but couldn't that just suggest the power of positive reinforcement? I mean, if one could use hypnotism to get others to commit crimes, why haven't people done this in the real world? I suppose some people have been brainwashed into cults, but that's not really the same thing. Why are hypnotists relegated to working at resorts and cheezy nightclubs? You'd think they'd be richer if they could make others do their bidding.
Also starring Helen Hunt (last seen in "The Sessions"), Dan Aykroyd (last seen in "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry"), Charlize Theron (last seen in "The Legend of Bagger Vance"), Elizabeth Berkley, Wallace Shawn (last seen in "Shadows and Fog"), Peter Gerety, John Schuck.
RATING: 5 out of 10 file cabinets
No comments:
Post a Comment