This is an unconventional choice for a romantic movie, but I adore Kenneth Branagh’s Dead Again. It is a slick, stylish romantic thriller that follows two fantastic love stories. One takes place in the 1950’s between Roman Straus, a brilliant composer, and a beautiful pianist named Margaret. They have a whirlwind courtship, fall in love, marry, but then things sour quickly. Roman is ultimately accused of murdering Margaret, and he is executed for the deed. This is the first scene of the movie, so I’m not giving anything away.
The second storyline is set in contemporary times, and features the same actors (Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson.) Emma Thompson’s character is haunted by troubling dreams and she becomes convinced that she is the reincarnation of Margaret Strauss. A series of flashbacks recount the doomed love affair between Margaret and Roman, while the contemporary lovers follow an ominously similar path. Is history repeating itself?
This movie has style. A mix of old Hollywood glamor with undertones of Hitchcock, it is a fast-moving story that pulses with wonderful evocative scenes. I adore a good turbulent love story, and this one has two! The writing is fresh, the soundtrack is gorgeous, and the chemistry between the two main actors leaps off the screen.
Now, you know I am a dyed-in-the-wool romantic, so I would not recommend this movie if the ending wasn’t utterly wonderful and completely satisfying. This is the perfect movie for a rainy afternoon.
Comments 1
Really? This movie was assigned in a film course I took a few years ago, but mostly because of the Hitchcock elements, instead of the romance. If I had to choose, I like the modern romance story over the 1940’s one, which I didn’t like so much. Still, it was a great movie.