D.O.A.
A film review by Robert Dorsett
Copyright 1988 Robert Dorsett
For those of you who sort of liked FRANTIC's idea (style, "normal guy in jeopardy" plot), but didn't feel compelled to write in a story during the boring execution of the film, the new movie, D.O.A., should be most welcome.
The story revolves around Dexter Cornell, portrayed by Dennis Quaid. He plays a burned-out English professor at a "large southern university" (the movie was filmed in Austin, Texas). Early in the film, he manages to swallow a rare, fatal, slow-acting (24-48 hours to live) poison ("phosphorous chloride") during a drinking binge. To make it worse, his wife is murdered, and he's the prime suspect. The rest of the movie is dedicated to him trying to figure out who's trying to ruin his day.
D.O.A. succeeds everywhere that FRANTIC failed. It has a good story. Good pacing. It has more sophisticated commentary and humor. It has a much more imaginative visual style. Quaid, to me, is a much more believable "everyman" than Ford (in this role, at least; I generally like Ford's performances), and displays a greater acting range (ever notice how Ford seemed to only have one expression--pained--during FRANTIC?). In short, it's a true mystery, rather than a travelogue. We're given a cast of suspects, and are led along a fairly logical process of deduction. None of the fantastic gaps of credibility that plagued FRANTIC (including the worst, that Ford's character would "go out" on his own after such a short time). My only gripe is that the ending should have had more punch.
I rate D.O.A. 8/10 (FRANTIC 6.0/10). A +4 on the Leeper scale.
Robert Dorsett {allegra,ihnp4}!ut-emx!walt.cc.utexas.edu!mentat
University of Texas {allegra, ihnp4}!ut-emx!auscso!mentat
at Austin mentat@walt.cc.utexas.edu
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