A MYSTERY ABOUT TRUE LOVE… AND CERTAIN DEATH.

Los Angeles private eye Mike Church (Kenneth Branagh) tries to learn the identity of a woman (Emma Thompson) with amnesia and finds ties to a spectacular 1949 murder… An interesting early noir story from writer Scott Frank, bombastically (perhaps a tad overdone) staged by Branagh in his first directing effort after Henry V (1989). Evocative atmosphere as the story jumps back and forth to the black-and-white depiction of what happened in 1949; of course, there’s a crazy twist near the end. Branagh and Thompson never feel quite right as Americans, but it’s fun watching them in dual roles. Highlights: the music score, and Derek Jacobi as a psychic.

1991-U.S. 107 min. Color-B/W. Directed by Kenneth Branagh. Screenplay: Scott Frank. Music: Patrick Doyle. Cast: Kenneth Branagh (Mike Church/Roman Strauss), Emma Thompson (Amanda Sharp/Margaret Strauss), Andy Garcia (Gray Baker), Derek Jacobi, Hanna Schygulla, Wayne Knight… Campbell Scott, Robin Williams.

IMDb