On I List of Movie Reviews
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Intersection (1994)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
8/20, 2/22
8/20:
I saw Intersection in 1994 yet didn't remember anything about it but the slo-mo car accident Richard
Gere was getting into.
A remake of Les choses de la vie, I have to say it's a fine drama with an European feel, great location
photography, and strong editing that tells a captivating nonlinear story by using flashbacks about what went
wrong in one marriage.
Like the Mercedes 280SL roadster, what happened to Vincent Eastman is a tragedy. He was a likeable person, but
driving over 80 MPH on a wet local road is going to cost a person his life every single time. However, Vincent's
conflict with two women, hence the title of the film, does put life into perspective, and he wanted the marriage
to work and his wife just couldn't see his way.
Once again, the always handsome-looking Richard Gere gives a charming performance, but his manners can be
repetitive at times although I don't mind it. I never thought Sharon Stone was a good actress, but she may
have given the performance of her career here. It's the mirror of her personality in so many films:
detached and unfeeling. Lolita Davidovich does a decent job as the third wheel.
If you've never heard of a Congreve clock, well...the movie will correct it for you. Invented by William
Congreve in 1808 and there had been earlier versions, it's a pretty work of craftsmanship with the metal
ball rolling along the zig-zag track to operate the clock. Unfortunately, Congreve clocks are notoriously
unreliable because the surface and the ball have to be clean and dust-free all the time. Otherwise, they'll
slowly lose as much as 45 minutes a day.
All in all, Intersection is a must-see.
2/22:
"We weren't a family. We were a corporation with a kid."
That's the main theme of Intersection. Flashbacks are used to pinpoint what went wrong. The present day
is set for Vincent Eastman to decide whether to save the marriage or drop it for good and open a new chapter.
After a bit of mind-wrestling with his decision, he chose the latter but stupidly cost his life by driving too
fast on a slick local road.
The best part is character development. At the end, it's easy to feel bad after what happened to Vincent.
Richard Gere is terrific. Sharon Stone gives the best performance of her career. Lolita Davidovich is merely
okay but is relegated to almost third wheel between these two to serve as plot device.
Showing shades of American Gigolo, the style is impeccable throughout
with fantastic cinematography by Vilmos Zsigmond. Hence, it's why Vincent wanted to hold on to his
beautiful-looking wife. The building is the Museum of Anthropology which is part of the University of British
Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, and the artifacts inside are still the same.
All in all, Intersection continues to be an underrated movie that unfairly received a lot of bad reviews.