COPYCAT
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 9.2
United States, 1995 U.S. Availability: 10/27/95 (wide) Running Length: 2:03 MPAA Classification: R (Violence, post mortem photographs) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter, Dermot Mulroney, Harry Connick Jr., William McNamara, Will Patton, John Rothman, J.E. Freeman Director: Jon Amiel Producers: Arnon Milchan and Mark Tarlov Screenplay: Ann Biderman and David Madsen Cinematography: Laszlo Kovacs Music: Christopher Young U.S. Distributor: Warner Brothers
Move over, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS! COPYCAT has usurped the position at the top of the all-time serial killer movie heap. With its rare mixture of intelligent plotting, flawless acting, and start-to-finish tension, COPYCAT is a force to be reckoned with--hopefully both at the box office and when Oscars are given out next spring. It amazes me that an entry from this genre, which is normally known for pointless gore and contrived storylines (see--or rather don't see--DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS), has turned out a motion picture this keen and complex.
COPYCAT opens in a college lecture hall. Dr. Helen Hudson (Sigourney Weaver), a psychiatrist who specializes in serial killers, is giving a talk on her pet subject. Her words drive home the point: these people get turned on by what they do. They feel no remorse--only anticipation of the next kill. After finishing the seminar, Helen heads for the restrooms, where she comes face-to-face with Daryll Lee Cullem (Harry Connick Jr.), a man with murderous intentions who has been stalking her.
Thirteen months later, Helen is an agoraphobiac recovering from a nervous breakdown. She hides inside her apartment, connected to the Internet while downing pills and booze in roughly equal quantities. She's useless to herself or anyone else. Then the police, led by Mary Jane Monahan (Holly Hunter) and Reuben Goetz (Dermot Mulroney), arrive at her door. They need help tracking a serial killer who has been terrorizing young women in the San Francisco area, and who better to go to than an expert with twenty years of having "serial killers on the brain"? Although at first reluctant, Helen eventually relents and lends her experience to the investigation. Her first contribution is to identify the killer as a copycat. He is mimicking the great serial killers--the Boston Strangler, Son of Sam, the Hillside Strangler, Dahmer, and Bundy--and there's no way to tell who or how he will murder next. On top of everything, he has decided to play Internet games with Helen, the "Muse of Serial Killers."
It's a difficult task to perfect this sort of story. There are so many areas where the script can fail that it's astounding how seamlessly COPYCAT overcomes all obstacles. There are no stupid characters, contrived resolutions, or deus ex machinas. The police are smart, but so is the killer. And the movie doesn't play games with the villain's identity--we aren't left wondering whether he's one of the supposed "good guys." Like SEVEN, COPYCAT isn't concerned with whodunnit, but why they did it and how they will strike next. In contrast to the Brad Pitt/Morgan Freeman movie, however, this picture has a rock-solid storyline with no gaping holes in logic.
I've never been a big fan of Sigourney Weaver, but what she accomplishes here is impressive. I can't help wonder how much better DEATH AND THE MAIDEN would have been had she turned in a similar caliber performance there. From the opening scene in COPYCAT, Weaver has a good sense of Dr. Hudson, and she holds onto the character through all the emotional ups and downs. This is doubtlessly the actresses' best work to date.
Holly Hunter, following her Oscar-winning mute role in THE PIANO, shows her range by doing something radically different. Strong-willed, tough, and extremely competent, her MJ Monahan is the kind of smart, multi-layered role actors relish, and Hunter is on target with her portrayal. This is a contained, dynamic performance without a hint of overacting. In many ways, what the actress does here exceeds what she managed in Jane Campion's New Zealand period drama.
The supporting cast is solid. Dermot Mulroney projects a likable cockiness as Monahan's partner. Harry Connick Jr. is creepy as Hudson's stalker. While no Hannibal the Cannibal, Connick's Daryll Lee is still a frighteningly demented man. Equally disturbing is William McNamara as the title character, one of the most chilling since Michael Rooker's lead in HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER.
The worst thing that can happen in a movie like this is for the characters to be a step behind the audience. That's not the case in COPYCAT, where the viewer is in synch with what's occurring on-screen. Tension and atmosphere are excellent, and director Jon Amiel pays careful attention to detail. Parts of this film are frightening, and will have many viewers either on the edge of their seat or hiding their eyes. And, unlike in many so-called thrillers, the ending is not a let- down. Comparisons with SILENCE OF THE LAMBS are inevitable, but this movie is no mere copycat of Jonathan Demme's 1991 feature--it's a well-crafted improvement.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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