Genres

Visitors Review

2013-05-15 09:46:32

Gosh...I thought I was the only person that liked this movie

**** REVIEW INCLUDES "GREAT DIALOG" SPOILERS ****Wow was I surprised to see all the positive reviews of this movie here on Amazon. I thought I was alone in being entertained by this. External reviews often completely trash this movie without finding anything positive.Well get this chemical makeup: Stunning and popular star Lara Flynn Boyle overtly titillating us and wearing skimpy outfits even including a bikini(!), Timothy Hutton, habitual scene stealer Oliver Platt during younger and thinner days, superstar Faye Dunaway, and Steven Webber from the TV show "Wings." How's that for voltage? Add in a proven plotline with a long pedigree (Hand that rocks the cradle, Single White Female, many more), some great whacky dialog, and top it off with the inspired idea of a corporate thriller set in a cookie company with the climax in an industrial kitchen, and yeah...I'll bank that. How could you possibly lose?Actually I really like this movie, even just watching it straight. The only problem I have is Faye Dunaway's really bad, hammy, mugging acting, and toward the end Boyle picks up some of the same style, but other than that I like it. However, if you make me analyze it, ok, it's riddled with plot holes, dropped threads, unanswered questions, implausabilities, etc, but that really doesn't matter if the movie succeeds in entertaining me. And it does. So with that in mind, you could look at it as one of the "so bad it's good" genre, and it does succeed on that level. I agree with others that the ending seems as tho it was written on the spot when someone lost the rest of the script.It actually has a lot of good stuff in it. For example:One of my favorite literary devices is the "buddy thing," which is an entertainment staple: Laurel and Hardy, Skipper and Gilligan, Kip and friend in Bosom Buddies, Balky and Larry in "Perfect Strangers," etc. This movie features that, but in four directions: Hutton and his boss, Hutton and his buddy (Webber), Hutton and his rival (Platt), Hutton and Boyle. Lots of fun there.The highlight for me is some of the whacky dialog, which I'm still quoting years later. For example:"You're BLOWIN' it man.""YOU'VE GOT THIS PROBLEM."And one of the greatest lines ever:"Good gosh how hard can it be? I'm not asking you to splice DNA you just DO IT!"Wonderful stuff.Finally, it's no surprise that Hutton and Platt both turn in performances that are well worth watching.

2013-05-14 17:57:08

The Temp is "Killer".

Gulity Pleasure..Not a thriller, nor a comedy, not film noir nor oscar winner just pointless fun, I get a kick out of these films that dont take things seriously, "The Crush" w/ Alicia Silverstone is another!

Brandon L. Sites 2013-05-14 07:10:50

* *1/2 out of 4.

Delightfully nasty film about a temporary office assistant (Lara FlynnBoyle) who makes life for her new boss (Timothy Hutton) a living hellthrough her perfect organizational skills, a cold icey manner, and the factthat she is raising up the cooperate latter faster then him. Oh, also all ofhis friends are turning up dead and he suspects her of all the killings.Lara Flynn Boyle's trim body and slick cool look make her a perfect choicefor her role. She perfectly captures upper class stuffiness while hiding hertrue emotions behind her icey interior. However, as the film moves on itjust gets sillier and sillier.Rated R; Violence and Profanity.

Chris Cook 2013-05-14 03:05:05

Getting your expectations right...

I too turned this film on not expecting much...in fact as something tofallasleep to...BUTits not as bad as you might thinkTim Hutton plays paranoid pretty much the same as he did in 'Dark Half'andLara Flynne Boyle does a fine job as the obvious 'crazy' whilst managingtohold up one of the most ridiculous hairstyles in years...and the moviestillworks as long as you think of it as a sub-Fatal Attraction thriller andnotexpect some novel work of cinemaGive it a go...

dallen4444 2013-05-11 04:37:41

One of the worst movies of all time

This movie is awful. It's one of those movies that when you're home fortheholidays and watch at your parents house, it's not even worth it. I keptonthinking that it would get better but it never did. It was filmed in myhome townand that was the only good thing about the movie. They totally wastedOliverPlatt in this flick.

Matthew 2013-05-10 18:09:50

Another Crazy Bitch

I thought this movie was pretty good. Despite the low ratings it got. Yes, in some way you can compare this to other movies, but in someway,thats the fun of it. Timothy Hutton gives a solid dual performance. Lara Flynn Boyle gives an average, but sexy performance.

2013-05-08 19:31:57

Fun......like a quickie

Like a private pleasure, THE TEMP moves quickly and predictably. None-the-less, in the what-ya-see-is-what-ya-get vein, this cuddly low budget offering is irresistably sexy and watchable. Void of any sense of morality, Hutton and Boyle look great. Is he paranoid in suspecting his temp (or is it "temptress?), is an obsessive sociopath dedicated to make it to the top? Or is his mental illness re-curring? Lara Flynn Boyle is well over the top in her portrayal of THE TEMP; and Hutton equally satisfying as her boss. But what of the death's of co-workers? Why is she always linked to them? And why is her boss the only one to notice? An abrupt ending sees that....

2013-05-08 08:05:40

... it's a bargain

well the casting is good. boyle looks great. hutton does his EMOTIONALLY SCARRED role good (again). and faye dunaway to boot? trying to kill and screw her way to the top, temp harrington excels as a natural born liar who is able to respond effectively to any confrontation. I really liked that element of realism. We've all met people like that. There are some clever killings, and a memorable dismemberment. such of a happy ending as hutton's character finds confidence and authority in his capture of a crook. slick and glossy. sexy in a sick way.

rondine 2013-04-30 15:39:51

Guilty Pleasures....

This is one of my "guilty pleasures" movies. A movie that has no realmessage and nothing profound to say. It's just fun to watch. (Con Airis another example for me.) The performances are more than adequate forthis type of movie, so it is easy to watch. Basic premise, Peter Derns (Timothy Hutton) gets a temp, Kris Bolin(Lara Flynn Boyle) that is smart, sexy and ambitious. She seems like aGodsend at first because she actually helps him in his dog-eat-dogworld of marketing. His boss, Charlene (Faye Dunaway) is great in hersupporting role as both mentor & menace. One of the problems is that Peter is under mental supervision (aka:shrink) for supposed paranoia & extreme jealousy. When things start togo wrong as Kris works her way up the ladder, everyone thinks he's justparanoid. Hmm? Well, you can probably guess what happens next. But even though thismovie is predictable, it doesn't stop me from watching it whenever it'son. The actors are fun to watch, and very attractive. The sexualtension between Hutton & Boyle is believable. And there are plenty ofdeaths to keep it moving right along! Just a fun movie, nothing major or worthy of the Academy of DramaticArts- but then not everything has to be. Just enjoy this for what itis- a guilty pleasure.

mnwcsult 2013-04-30 09:05:01

Not worth the effort

Sat through this with the wife, overly long, dull, insane situations,add nonsensical ending and the cable TV rating of 1 (one) star isgenerous. Skip it.Silly plot, Predictable, Drama none, Boring, Long, most of it shouldhave been left on the cutting room floor. Ending, how lame was that,the women had killed or maimed several co-workers and the CEO. She istold to clean out her desk and leave. What was that?Should have known better, it was on Lifetime Movie Network (LMN)formerly Lifetime the network for women. The Simpson had it right, theNetwork for stupid people.I prefer stories with many plot threads, twists, events you cannotforesee. The Temp is right out of the Dummies Guide to Movie making, page 2.

2013-04-23 04:14:53

She bought a set--five for $9.99 from Thrifty's

"The Temp" rips away the thin veneer of civility and exposes the dog-eat-dog world of a cookie company. "The Temp" was all right for a momentary diversion, but I wouldn't offer it a full-time permanent position with benefits. I would blame the director, but I heard that he was forced to change the ending by one of the actors so she wouldn't look bad.Faye Dunaway played the big boss. She is very good at acting bossy, perhaps too good, if she forced the director to change the ending. No wonder there were so many loose ends never tied up. Here is an example of the sloppy plot: Lance, a secretary, gets his hand caught in a paper shredder. Later, he is back as the secretary for another employee, but his hand is fine. Did I miss something? I won't give away the ending, but there are many inconsistencies never explained. Lara Flynn Boyle as Kris Bolin, the temp, was efficient, attractive, and you really believed that she would do anything to get ahead. She does that kind of character very well. She seems in control, but she is just one cookie short of a Happy Meal, and could go totally psycho at any moment.Timothy Hutton was Peter Derns, Kris Bolin's boss, and he seemed like he might almost be too nice for the cutthroat business world he was in. He was supposed to have a dark side, as he was in therapy and his therapist warned him about keeping his Mr. Hyde in check. I kept waiting for that side to come out, but it seemed like no matter what was happening, he was always lukewarm.Oliver Platt and Steven Weber were also under utilized. Bottom line is "The Temp" was a cookie cutter thriller that only kept you entertained temporarily, but when the cookie crumbled, the pieces didn't fit together. Cougar Club (2007) Faye Dunaway was Edith BirnbaumKinsey (2004) Timothy Hutton was Paul Gebhard; and Oliver Platt was Herman WellsBeautiful Girls (1996) Timothy Hutton was Willie ConwayLeaving Las Vegas (1995) Steven Weber was Marc Nussbaum Threesome (1994) Lara Flynn Boyle was Alex Wayne's World (1992) Lara Flynn Boyle was StacyPostcards from the Edge (1990) Oliver Platt was Neil BleeneBarfly (1987) Faye Dunaway was Wanda WilcoxChinatown (1974) Faye Dunaway was Evelyn MulwrayBonnie and Clyde (1967) Faye Dunaway was Bonnie Parker ------------------------------------Peter Derns: Where'd she get the picture? Rosemary: It came with the frame. She bought a set--five for $9.99 from Thrifty's. =============================================

2013-04-22 12:55:58

More than just a Temporary thing

With a breakout performance, Lara Flynn Boyle tears her role to shreds as the psychotic, ploying nutcase of an office temp out to systematically destroy every co-worker this b%&*# comes across. As she spins her web of lust, lies and greed, we the viewer helplessly lie back and watch her catch her next victim, devouring them with no apologies or regrets. Lara plays a convincing deadly Diva, along the same lines as some of the greats like Kathy Bates in Misery, Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, and Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct. This film is worth checking out if you like strong woman characters with a tinge of evil running through their blood.

Billy White 2013-04-21 18:10:30

Great Movie

This movie was great. I first watched it when I was an early teen. Recently I got a chance to re-live the experience. I think just about everything pertaining to the movie was excellent. I don't want to give the story away because I recommend you see it if you have not. I will tell you that the ending was supurb. At least it was to me. So great. I will remember the final scene for the rest of my life. :)

2013-04-21 01:05:11

Just look at it in fun

Not to be taken serious...........look at Lara's hairstyles throughout. At times she has is way bigger than her body. Like Cousin It when she jumps into a pool. Full of goofy dialogue and plot holes galore, just take this trashy movie in fun. Don't analize.

RabbitValleyRebel 2013-04-17 08:17:37

Flawed but Fun

Many of the key scenes are telegraphed in the style of Friday the 13th.Faye Dunaway is over-the-top. She's sort of like The Joker in batman.She kind of channeled her character from the movie Network, but itdidn't work here as well. Timothy Hutton is my favorite actor. He makes it look so easy, and hassuch an appealing presence. Another reviewer said that you want to rootfor his character, because you identify with him. I agree. That's thecase with most of his movies.Lara Flynn Boyle was great. She nailed it. However, her hair style, andthe psychotic look in her eyes were a real turn off. Maura Tierney ismeant to look depressed and plain. Therefore, there was no eye-candy inthis one for me, although I understand that Boyle was, for most men.Portland, and Oregon in general looked great. I never thought ofskycrapers and big businesses in Portland, but I guess there are some.There is a scene when the characters are traveling down to the statecapitol of Salem, via the Coast Highway. That was just thrown in forscenery, because the coast is way west of the road to Salem.The main character's personal problem from the past is key to the plot.It seems a bit far-fetched, but I liked it. A simple, cheap plotdevice, but I'll allow it.I thoroughly enjoyed the physical atmosphere, the buddy aspect, thebelievable wife, Hutton's persona, and the devilish Boyle. Not a greatfilm, but I will undoubtedly take out my VHS copy again in a few years,or introduce it to a friend.

2013-04-17 01:07:58

Needs a rewrite with more Dunaway

This is yet another vehicle starring Faye Dunaway that did not fully utilize her incredible talent. Who needs Lara Flynn Boyle when you have Faye Dunaway? Miss Dunaway was not in enough scenes, though she's looking good. They should have ditched the Flynn Boyle character and had Timothy Hutton fall in love with Dunaway. People start to die mysteriously, and he's not sure if it's Dunaway. She could do a couple of scenes where she acts nuts and you're not sure if she's guilty. In the end, it turns out to be jealous women in her office trying to frame her to get Timothy Hutton to ask them out. Dunaway and Hutton run off together in the end. That is is a much better story and would have showcased Dunaway much better. Otherwise, the action was good.

in-the-fade 2013-04-15 04:37:19

Corporate gain, corporate loss.

Peter Derns an executive at Mrs. Appleby's cookie company wants to moveup the chain, but his finding it hard and his marketing just isn'tworking. However when his new temp Kris Bolin arrives, she proves notonly she's beautiful but very efficient in her job and helps himsuccessfully with his campaign. But there's something not quite rightabout her intentions, which Peter starts picking up on and someexecutives fall to mysterious deaths. Is it all in his head, all isKris really behind all of this.Director Tom Holland has such films behind him like "Fright Night","Child's Play" and "Thinner", but this sedate (and tame)psycho-thriller really does pale in comparison to those fun flicks.Holland's competently assured direction makes slick work of thislifeless and mechanically structured premise that never really takesoff even with such a deviously twisted idea. Because of Holland'spanache and a terrific cast (Faye Dunaway is great!), it stayseffectively watchable. It's just too bad that studio interference inthe editing side damaged just what could've been. The theme is allabout playing on the twisty paranoia and lurking competition forsuccess, but it goes on to lack that real daring and dark edge like aknife in the back. It sets itself in taut confines, and can feel rathercalmly. The wordy script goes about things in quite an unbalancedframe, with an almost tongue-in-cheek style getting caught up in theserious moments. The two never really level out. Fredric Talgorn'smusic score is generically jarring, but suitable and Steve Yaconelli'ssharply lensed photography and lighting placement is ably done for theright effect. Timothy Hutton is perfectly cast, and the excellent LaraFlynn Boyle is rapturously sexy and cunning to the bone. There's quitean intriguingly unpredictable pattern to Hutton and Boyle'smind-screwing relationship. This is where most of the pressure filledand sexual tension arises from. Oliver Platt appears, but seems wastedin an insignificant part as a slimy executive.Lukewarm thriller that never finds its way out of its artificial mouldand ends rather abruptly.

2013-04-14 12:16:21

GREAT WONDERFUL HAPPY EXPERIENCE

This review is from: The Temp (DVD) I LOVE THE PRICE, THE SERVICE AND THE TIME IT TOOK TO GET IN MY HANDS, GREAT JOB.

Coventry 2013-04-10 01:13:54

The horror of paper cuts!!

Tame, unoriginal, forgettable, bloodless and boooooooring 90'sthriller, set on the management floor of a cookie-factory. The plot isroutine thriller material without surprises and the movie stillattempts to cash in on the success formula of "Fatal Attraction", whichwas made half a decade earlier. Peter Derns is an executive and formermental patient (great combination) who receives a beautiful temporaryassistant to bridge a stressful period. She – the gorgeous Lara FlynnBoyle – immediately proves herself useful and she even gives good inputfor the company's newest project. But of course she becomes a littletoo obsessed with her boss and career, and pretty soon other rivalexecutives start to die in mysterious circumstances. Very convenient ifyou want to climb up the company-ladder, but nevertheless suspicious."The Temp" is one of those countless early 90's thrillers thatintroduce femme fatales as dangerous psychopaths (other examples being"Single White Female", "The Crush" and "The Secretary") but thispremise actually is pretty weak and overly predictable. The screenplayfeatures a series of clichés, typically lame office-humor and reallyALL the characters are annoying stereotypes. There's nothing evenremotely interesting about this film and the downright lousy endingwill make you regret sitting through it even more.

DumbAbel 2013-04-09 13:24:53

Bizarre, campy thriller

I remember wanting to see this when I was 13 back in 1993 because itlookedso bad! Six years later, I rented it and sure enough, it was so bad it'sgood! It stars Lara Flynn Boyle (The Practice) as a quirky, femme fatalewhocauses problems for the people around her. Although the movie was wellcastand put together well, there really was no point to it! It never reallywentinto Boyle's character's personality, about WHY she was so strange!Overall,I'd rent this just for entertainment, not for a good thriller! Sure tobecome a 1990s cult classic.~CosmicGirl