Plot: What’s it about?
Marie is a single mother with two small children, but she doesn’t have much trouble in taking care of them and herself. She spends most of her time with them and as such, her life is more interior than exterior on the whole. But she isn’t a total hermit or anything, she just devotes a great deal of her time to her family and her home in France. The countryside is beautiful and she loves her kids, so she doesn’t mind that much. She works as a book critic and that provides her with enough solace, to last her through the night. Marie belongs to the night and she is usually only active during this time. Marty, on the other hand is bold and independent, her work is done in the hustle and bustle of New York and that allows little time for rest. She has no children or husband and as such, her work is her life and she is passionate about that. So what’s the connection? These two women are the same person and they know it, but they have no idea which of them is real. Is Marie just a dream when Marty falls asleep, or is Marie the real one out of the two? With new men arriving in both of their lives, sooner or later one of them is bound to take over the whole shooting match. But which one?
This film met with a quick critical demise, but I happened to like it and though it isn’t a great film, it supplies some decent fantasy elements and a knockout performance by Demi Moore. I am a fan of Moore and that’s why I checked out this movie in the first place, but I ended up liking the film and I think I will watch this one over and again. The storyline is decent enough and though the film never lives up the basic premise’s potential, I find it to be a fun ride and worth a look in the end. I am unsure of whether this film is supposed to be romantic or anti-romantic, but I could make a solid case for either argument. Certain sequences lend themselves to one side, then a few minutes later it seems as though the other is true. But the film is not confusing in the least, I was just never sure what I supposed to think at certain times. This might scare some folks off, but I like the idea of being unsure and gives the film a better level of replay value to me. Add in some breathtaking visuals, a terrific supporting cast, and a wonderful lead performance by Moore, and you’ve got a solid movie that is more than worth a look.
A film needs a strong leading performance and this one has that and more, with Demi Moore saddling up for serious screen time. Moore has shown her range in a wide scope of varied roles over the years, but is still not considered among the better female performers in the business. I don’t feel she is among the very best in her field, but Moore has more than shown her worth and deserves a great deal of respect because of it. She can play demanding and complex just as well as simple, conservative ones and here she samples somewhere in between the two. This role had the potential to be very complex, but the writing takes much of that guess work out, leaving a character of medium difficulty for Moore. She takes the ball and runs with it, turning in a spectacular performance here. Some of Moore’s other better turns can be seen in films such as Striptease, G.I. Jane, Indecent Proposal, Disclosure, and A Few Good Men. The cast here also includes Amanda Spencer (Ronin), Peter Riegert (The Mask, Tv’s The Sopranos), Sinead Cusack (Revenge, The Cement Garden), Stellan Skarsgard (Insomnia, Dancer In The Dark), and William Fichtner (Armageddon, Drowning Mona).
Video: How does it look?
Passion Of Mind is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. As we expect from Paramount, this is a top notch effort and even though this was a flick with a moderate budget, you wouldn’t know from this visual presentation. I was pleased to find no debris evident and minimal grain, both of which usually haunt titles of this level, but I also noticed no signs of compression flaws in the least. This film displays some nice colors and this transfer makes them look terrific, vivid hues and no bleeds, also natural flesh tones can be found here. Also impressive is the contrast, which sports a very high level of detail and dead on shadow layering at all times. Another superb visual effort from Paramount, now how about some more extras, eh?
Audio: How does it sound?
This isn’t the film to choose for dynamic sound, but the included Dolby Digital 5.1 track still delivers the goods. I was surprised with how much surround use there is with this film, because I expected the dialogue driven track to lack atmosphere, which is doesn’t in the least. This track is loaded with rear channel and directional use, which is not always in a powerful manner, but always effective. The score resonates in this mix, which in turn helps create and maintain the film’s tone and mood. This all never overshadows the dialogue though, as vocals emerge in crisp and distinct fashion. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround track and English subtitles, which are always nice to have.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer, but no other bonus materials.
