This blog entry is part of my “movie year countdown round #2”. Read more about that here.
Jennifer Eight
I've never heard anyone talk about or even mention this movie before. I probably would have never even known about it much less had any interest in it if it wasn't for the fact that it's the only other movie directed by Bruce Robinson besides Withnail & I and How to Get Ahead in Advertising, both of which I adore.
According to a note I read on IMDB, Bruce Robinson made Jennifer Eight with a focus on commercial potential so that he may have some success and win the opportunity to get funding for other less commercially viable projects. Apparently the movie failed to make money and Robinson has not directed any movies since. Although I've been desperately watching out for the supposed production of The Rum Diary for years, which sounded like the perfect project. But now I have doubts that it will ever even occur.
Jennifer Eight is a pretty solid mystery/thriller film. A few surprises, and the heart pounding thriller moments are quiet well done even if in a sometimes conventional way. But of course it's nothing like those other films of his. This is not a comedy. There's nothing zany about it. And Richard E. Grant is nowhere to be found (you'd know if he was anywhere nearby).
However Uma Thurman does quite well as a blind woman. And John Malkovich appears as a rather strange somewhat secondary character as you may expect him to.
It's a shame Robinson hasn't made too much more after this, especially comedies. Not because I'm sure they would all be great, but I'm just curious to know what else he has in him.
Rating: 8/10