Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-20 11:31:33

An intriguing thriller!

A catastrophic car accident will be the crossroad for this excellent noir film. This man will suffer of amnesia will have to build the puzzle piece by piece even all the pieces are uncoveredAfter his triumphant entry to the selected Pantheon of the best directors of the world with Das boot, this talented film maker wanted to seal his signature in the Noir Film style with a very smart script . This genre was neglected in the Eighties and Petersen supposed than this film would constitute the last passport for entering to Hollywood.Something happened with this film that it did not have the support of the audience. Tom Berenger to my mind has been of the most neglected actors in all that decade. It would seem his fiendish character In Platoon gave him a negative image rather than being a real jump for the stardom. That was a very special year. The Gulf War was in its apex and the audience was seeking desperately evasion. If not watch for the winners films of that age: Ghost, Dance with wolves. 1990 had been a clear indicator the Mob had died in Hollywood : if not ask for the Goodfellas, Crossing Miller and State of grace; three superb films which didn't approve the market exam. I think this was the main reason for this film was so unfairly neglected.But the time always works out as the serene judge and give back the reward earlier than later, acquiring a status of minor cult film and that' s by itself is a little victory.

airfoyle 2012-05-19 23:26:28

Too many plot holes, too little else

About fifteen minutes into this movie you realize that it's not goingto be very satisfying. The action develops very clumsily, as a manrecovering from a serious accident is gradually eased into his life.This life seems to consist of a loving wife, two friends, an office,and a hotel, i.e., just the items necessary to move the plot along. IfI were in the position this guy is in, I would be suffering fromclaustrophobia.Naturally, our hero has "psychogenic amnesia," an ailment so rare inreal life that many experts doubt it exists at all. Nothing I say willget novelists and directors to lay off this stuff, but I will registera protest anyway. It's more likely for a person in an auto accident togrow a second head than to wake up not remembering any details of hislife while all his other faculties are intact. So let's have moresecond-head films! Meanwhile, back to the movie in question. It's clear right away thatthings are not what they seem, but as we find out the truth it getsless and less plausible. The worst plot hole is (avoiding spoiler here)that Character 1 helps Character 2 dispose of a body, then demands thatthey take the matter to the police! No one in their right mind wouldcheerfully become an accomplice to the original crime and add a few newones _before_ it occurs to them to call the cops.The only good part of the movie was Greta Scacchi, especially herbreasts, which are on display in fuzzy flashback after fuzzy flashback.Also the slow-motion shot of the glass breaking, representing theshattering of the hero's persona, which I never tired of, in spite ofits being repeated several times.

2012-05-17 22:57:05

Underrated Thriller that Really Enthralls the Viewer

Although not a classic in the true sense of the label, the film still works as a really good excursion in mystery with a really surprising denouement. Berenger is quite sympathetic as a man who suffers amnesia but is "revived" to learn a terrible truth.Petersen is a gifted director and this, one of his earlier works, is deserving of a viewing.

2012-05-17 06:08:39

Shattered Mind

Great Wolfgang Petersen mystery! When Tom Berenger awakes from a bad car accident he finds he can not remember much. He begins to see flashbacks and his conversations with others help him to realize who he really was and who was murdered. This is one of the better movies I have seen Berenger in and I enjoyed it. Good supporting cast, music, and sets. Well worth owning on DVD. If you like this be sure to catch Tom in "Shoot To Kill" which will also be out on DVD soon and in "Sniper".

Michael Neumann 2012-05-12 17:46:20

requires a heroic suspension of disbelief

The acclaimed director of 'Das Boot' shows off his Hollywood Hackcredentials with this empty-headed, bargain-basement Hitchcockplagiarism. Tom Berenger stars as a car crash survivor, with no memoryof his life beforehand (a moot point, since the script never bothers togive him one), who begins to suspect his beautiful wife may have triedto kill him. He hires pet store owner/private detective Bob Hoskins tofind the truth, which when finally revealed is so far-fetched and soillogical it may strain the credulity of even the most undemandingviewer. Northern California audiences may enjoy watching Peterson playfast and loose with his San Francisco Bay area locations, moving ashipwrecked tanker from under the Marin County headlands in one sceneto the opposite side of the Golden Gate in another, and rearrangingcity streets to suit his camera set-ups. Nitpicky details, to be sure,but if a filmmaker can't be troubled by the little things he's notlikely to bother with larger issues of plot or character credibilityeither, and as a result there isn't a single moment here that doesn'tring false.

jasbury 2012-05-12 07:16:38

The Soundtrack is great too!

Shattered is a great movie with all of the necessary elements formaintaining an atmosphere of suspense and mystery with just a hint ofthe macabre. Mmy favorite part of the movie is the soundtrack,especially the opening theme. According to the credits it is called "Hacienda Source" but I'm notsure who actually wrote/performed it, perhaps Ashley Irwin? The themeis played twice, at the beginning of the movie when the car is windingit's way along the foggy road and at the end when the car... well Idon't want to spoil it. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the moviethe sound of screeching tires is overlay-ed on the music and at the endof the movie there's the sound of a helicopter. Is the soundtrack forthis movie available on CD because I really like the soundtrack musicand I'd like to hear it without the audio from the movie?

roederjo-1 2012-05-07 04:54:14

meh

When I first saw this movie I was 15 years old and at that point Ithought this movie was pretty awesome. Now, some 15 years later, Iwould have to say, "meh". Nothing is spectacular about this productionbut if you can make it to the ending you will be rewarded. It still hasone of the greatest endings for a mediocre movie. It is definitelyworth watching but don't go out of your way to watch it. In short, ifyou keep your expectations low enough you will be pleasantly surprisedand conversely if you expect too much you will be disappointed. Likemany movies, "Shattered" requires a fair amount of suspended disbeliefto make its viewing worthwhile. If you can get past some of theunrealistic details and focus on the plot twists your time will nothavebeen spent in vain.

Kathleen Dunn 2012-05-07 00:05:01

Could be Berenger's Best

Loved this movie, loved Berenger. He is very sexy in this movie. Even though mystery one can watch this film over & over.

2012-05-06 00:04:34

wrong movie

This review is from: Shattered (DVD) There is more than one movie named Shattered. I made sure what I was ordering. And it was not the one you see in the photo here , Shattered was from the early 90's, I got a hold of the sender. They said they knew that movie was not avaliable , so they sent a different one . Guess I cant trust ordering from Amazon anymore !

Dale Roberson 2012-05-05 07:38:59

Twisted...

There are so many twist, turns, shocks and surprises in this film, I can'tkeep up. There are moments of sheer suspense with great performances andgreat direction of Wolfgang Peterson. A truly solid thriller recommendedfor anyone.

jwhite-5 2012-05-01 19:14:26

Watered-down Hitchcock, nothing more.

Watch this movie only if you've never seen a Hitchcock film. Otherwiseyou'll see every plot twist coming a half hour in advance. Better yet,watch anything by Hitchcock and skip this movie entirely. DirectorWolfgangPetersen has done much better (Das Boot, In the Line of Fire, PerfectStorm)than this very derivative thriller.

Jim Connolly 2012-05-01 05:35:24

Have to see this one, you'll be surprised

This movie has got to be the best surprise I've ever gotten from a lastsecond pick at the video store. The first time I saw this movie was incollege, we watched it one night and it continued to be shown in ourapartment almost non-stop for the next 4 days. People could not getenoughof it.I won't go into the plot, etc. but will tell you it offers many twists andturns and will keep you interested and surprised at theend.You cannot go wrong renting this movie!

George Parker 2012-04-29 09:13:39

The usual stuff

"Shattered" tells of a man (Berenger), who loses his memory in a car crash,and the mysteries he encounters post-rehab as he assumes his place among awife and assorted other characters he doesn't remember. A formula mysteryflick with a few key puzzle pieces kept from the audience to ensuresuspense, "Shattered" has the "feel" of a journeyman low budget dramafraught with the usual plot holes, obvious sets, over acting, tunnelvision,and other contrivances. An okay watch for late night sofa spuds whohaven'tseen it before. Turn off brain before viewing.

2012-04-29 01:18:32

Has good twists and turns but the acting is bad

A typically early 90's thriller like Basic Instinct, Fatel Attractiona nd Indecient Praposel. This film works in soem levels and then falls in more levels. The good parts in the film is the twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The bad stuff is the terriable acting from everyone in the film. It's not entirelly bad and worth to see for the twist and turns but that's it.

2012-04-24 17:52:40

Lots of twists and turns--great movie

This movie was great. Not too many movies now surprise me. A lot of them you can predict the beginning, middle and especially the end. But this movie is very good. There's one seen that will surprise you. It sure surprised me. Rent it or buy, but as long as you see it.

vvanpo 2012-04-24 05:42:05

Big Fat Hunh?!

Of course I won't use any spoilers by giving away the ending of this movie. All you need to know about judging this flick happens at the very beginning. (An aside: can imdb.com ban commentators if they give away the BEGINNINGof "Memento"?)A car crashes through a railing and starts falling down a cliff face. Areal tall cliff face. Cut inside the tumbling car. A man grunts and groansafter each carom like he was Homer Simpson. Another cut: a woman is alsofalling down the cliff, presumably having been thrown from the car, gruntingand groaning!Next scene is the hospital. The man, husband Dan Merrick (Tom Berenger),looks like ground chuck, and suffers from the rare and convenient Deus exMachina amnesia. The woman, wife Judith Merrick (Greta Scacchi), barelymussed a hair on her pretty little head.My friends, the way the crash was presented there was no way anyone wasgoing to survive it or even come out in three pieces. Yet their survivingconditions are the legs on which the rest of the plot twists, turns andcircumambulates. I lost it right there. This soap is infested withcliches. I got a good unintentional chuckle from the hotel scene where Danbribes the manager. It's the kind of scene "Police Squad!" spoofed manytimes.Berenger twitches his way in the role of the husband. While Scacchiperforms some major heaving of breasts.Pass.

2012-04-23 01:24:56

Greatest Movie I've ever Seen

I watched this film back in 1991 and to this day it is still my favorite...and I've watched a lot of movies since.Quite simply, it is the greatest surprise ending of all time. If you liked how "Sixth Sense" ended, well this surprise ending is as good or arguably better. But this movie has so many twists, so much foreshadowing and clues that one really needs to watch this movie 3-4 times to pick up on all of it and each time gasp, "Ohhhh, I see!" Another reason to actually own it.This is a "Can't Miss" and I can guarantee that unless you already knew the ending, you will not be disappointed with this movie!

2012-04-22 15:11:10

Shattered is no. 1

I gave this movie 5 stars because it is ,in my opinion, one of the best suspense movies. The whole time, this movie leaves you guessing. Just when you think Merrick finds his memory ,you guessed it. It's shattered again! All the cast,from Tom Berenger to Bob Hoskins are brilliant.The writing and directing were wonderful.

2012-04-21 06:54:42

Confused Identification

Late at night a car goes off the highway and over a cliff. Mrs. Merrick survives, her husband has amnesia. The story begins to tell their history. Their trip to San Francisco brings back memories. But something seems to be wrong, somehow. Dan gets a shock when a hotel manager wishes his absent wife well! Dan starts to ease back into his job. He tracks down an invoice, and finds it was for a private investigator! This PI mailed (?) the negatives just before the car accident. Dan's wife was having an affair with a "Jack Stanton"; he has resigned and then disappeared. Dan follows his wife to a ship wreck on the site of a future development. When the PI contacts Dan, they follow Dan's wife to a hotel, then "Jack Stanton" leaves and they follow him to a road in the woods. Shots are fired, and they chase this car. Something is wrong!At night Dan sees the red car arrive at his home. Then he gets a shock after "Jack Stanton" enters his room. Dan gets details of what happened before the accident. His wife tells him they must pack and leave that night. But he gets a call from Jenny, who says she will call the police if he doesn't come over for a personal talk. Now the story becomes even more convoluted after Jenny is found dead. PI Gus Klein shows up to aid in the resolution to this story. But another surprise occurs to finish this story with a poetic ending. [I didn't find this story believable.] The moral is to call the police when you have reasonable suspicion about a crime.

2012-04-21 02:12:02

Great!

This movie is really great. The first time that I watched it, it blew me away. I had to watch it again immediately. If you like mystery shows, you should buy this one!