DEATH BECOMES HER (1992)

Directed By: Robert Zemeckis 
Written By: David Koepp & Martin Donovan 
Cinematography By: Dean Cundey 
Editor: Arthur Schmidt


Cast: Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Bruce Willis, Isabella Rossellini, Michelle Johnson, Alaina Reed Hall, Adam Storke, Fabio, Debra Jo Rupp, Jonathan Silverman, Ian Ogilvy, Mary Ellen Trainor  

When a woman learns of an immortality treatment, she sees it as a way to outdo her long-time rival.

This film feels like a big screen episode of TALES FROM THE CRYPT. The show director Robert Zemeckis was producing at the time. This would be one episode that feels extended and overlong. As it tries to develop and kind of shock while revealing it’s Characters and intentions. It also becomes repetitive. As it seeks to grind home themes and aspects of character that remind you of the thinness of the material in the first place.

As the film more or less as typical it seems of Robert Zemeckis films seems more a testament to technological advances in special effects. Truly making him seem more like a summer blockbuster film director as most of his films seem or come across more as events and Stunt. Not that they aren’t usually well made, but still they seem more devoted to style and craft rather than story and craft. That usually by the end feel a bit empty.

Which a Handful of his movies seem to be. Not which I can’t tell is him more challenging audiences as he strives to stretch the imagination and tell the story more visually then ever thought could be done. Which makes them feel like action storyboards or fables in themselves. Especially when he has the strength of story behind it. Though entertaining and thin like this film when it does. So that the special effects are the only thing you remember in a handful of the scenes Or if her more or less makes films to rest out special effects and fills in the story and other elements around that first and foremost as the projects he chooses seem to all have an opportunity for those elements.

This film works as a macabre fantasy maybe even a dark fairy tale but also it feels more like hair an excuse to try and feature at the time cutting edge special effects. Which gave the film a more prestigious textured experimental edge at the time.

Though the film ultimately feels hollow as the story just keeps going along and it feels at times that it has more than enough filler. Until the third act comes in and becomes more of a thrilling adventure and the home come flying more fast and furious as the story opens up a bit more. That fits but as far as tone it jump starts what at first what seemed a co rained story. So while it is welcome it becomes a bit jarring.

The film treats the Characters house like it’s a grand amusement park in it’s opulence of a museum that they are playing around in.

Bruce Willis does well but seems miscast and restrained though the film gives him one of his most broadly comedic roles to date. It seems more a role for an older actor as here they have him in noticeable old age make up. As even when they try to make him appear young in flashbacks he seems ridiculously made up. He was a replacement for Kevin Kline.

I remember seeing this film In the theater with my father and felt the film was kind of naughty or racy as it was the first film that I saw that could truly be considered a dark comedy with a big budget. It was impressive Though still ultimately felt like something was missing or off. So it always felt disappointing somewhat.

This was also the first Meryl Streep film I saw in a theater. Though my second Meryl Streep film after seeing her in SHE-DEVIL on home video. Which is stands as she is known as such a warm dramatic actress and my first experiences with her cinematically were where she was cast against type in more bitchy villainous roles and comedies overall. Here she is hilarious as the evil actress who intentionally steals an old classmates beau and also is her own worst enemy as she constantly says the wrong thing at the wrong time usually last minute. Meryl Streep wasn't thrilled that the film heavily relied on visual effects. Streep claimed that shooting the film was like "going to the dentist" and states that the film is her first, last, and only VFX-driven film.

This is also my first film being introduced to actress Isabella Rossellini cinematically. The film makes her look like a classic goddess as the pinnacle of on screen beauty and tantalizing gate keeper of the gift. She is almost a genie practically in this film. The film has often been said to be like an "extended episode of TALES FROM THE CRYPT. As this was also thought to be a sequel to the original crypt film anthology.

This is one of Goldie hawn’s better later in life roles though she looks pale and more scary at first. She eventually becomes more grotesque the worse her character becomes. As her and Meryl Streep in their schemes and fights are the characters who deal with and have to be involved with most of the special effects involved with them. Though on Goldie’s side st first we see he is just as evil as Meryl’s character as at the heart of the story it seems all of this is more revenge inspired.

The film underwent some major re-editing after negative feedback was received at test screenings. The entire ending was changed, and the role played by Tracey Ullman disappeared from the film completely, despite the fact that she was featured briefly in the trailer for the film.

The original ending was overall different from the theatrical version. It involves Tracey Ullman 's character, Toni, helping Ernest in a ruse of faking his own death in order to get away from Madeline, Helen, and Lisle. The plan worked and the two end up running away to Europe to start a new life together. Many years later, Madeline and Helen, both parodies of their former selves, with cracked, peeling paint and putty covering most of their grey and rotting flesh, are on vacation in Switzerland, yet they are completely bored and miserable. They notice an elderly couple being affectionate and they become envious of them. As the couple gets into a car and drives away, Madeline and Helen realize it's Ernest and Toni and chase after them, only to be hit by an oncoming car and break into pieces, similar to the theatrical ending.

In one of the original proposed endings, Madeline and Helen steal a car from one of the guests at Lisle's party in order to chase after Ernest. However, they end up accidentally driving off of a cliff and crashing into a huge explosion. Then, Madeline and Helen emerged from the wreckage as charred skeletons.


GRADE: C+