Lindsey Lowson / 19 December 2024 / Categories: Movie and TV Shows, Movie

Malice

An old classic I’d forgotten about

It’s been a while. I knew I’d seen this movie starring Nicole Kidman, Alex Baldwin and Bill Pullman before, it’s at least 30 years old but didn’t remember the plot.

It’s a thriller and well acted.

As I watched the plot began to come back to me and I remembered there were some serious plot twists, and there are, which kept me in the movie, even 2nd or 3rd time around.

The clothes, and well everything really is dated. Nicole Kidman plays a married woman suffering with fertility problems. Her husband Andy played by Bill Pullman bumps into an old college alumni crack surgeon years later and whilst eager to ride his coat tails a little bit agrees to renting out a room in their house to the doctor, who already appears to be wingling his way into their lives.

As the story continues Tracy’s fertility problems worsen and she finds herself on Dr.Hill’s operating table with him getting permission from her husband, Jed’s college friend/associate Andy to remove her one remaining viable ovary, rendering her infertile. His pitch her only life saving option. Andy gives Jed the go ahead thinking if he doesn’t Tracy will die.

Of course when she wakes up and is told what has happened she’s inconsolable and decides to sue.

Then the movie moves to high court room drama, a major medical negligence case, a physician with a “god complex” a victim denied the opportunity to be a mother, a massive medical malpractice lawsuit, litigators in large windowed offices taking depositions around boardroom tables.

The script is fast moving, you have to listen for the clues but expect to be blindsided by the ending.

Even after seeing it a couple of time before it was still a shock.

Standout cameo performance from Anne Bancroft who plays Kidman’s alcoholic mother. As Bill Pullman’s character endeavours to find out the truth there’s a short scene with Bancroft where she unveils a few vital pieces of the puzzle both for him and the audience. It’s chilling and very memorable. It’s the place the movie swings dramatically in a completely different direction.

I liked it. I’d give it 6/10 but only because it’s dated and it feels it. Great script, great acting, unexpected plot twists, everything otherwise you need from a great movie. Thriller genre also not my favourite. I don’t like being scared too much.