ABANDONED
(not rated)
MOVIE: *** (out of 5)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
In her final film, Brittany Murphy plays Mary, a career woman who brings her boyfriend into the hospital for minor surgery. She waits for him to be done, but when he doesn’t appear in recovery, Mary starts looking for him. She soon discovers that the hospital has no record of him being there, and the authorities start to wonder if she’s hallucinated the whole thing. Mary desperately tries to find her boyfriend and prove her own sanity.
WHAT I LIKED
As much as I enjoy the massive summer blockbusters and high-budget event pictures, a nice intimate thriller can be just as effective. This was Murphy’s last movie to be released after her untimely death, and while it’s not a perfect film, she could have gone out on a lower note.
“Abandoned” has the feel of a “Twilight Zone” or “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” episode, featuring a possible mind-bending outcome as well as a hint of crime. It’s a showpiece for Murphy, and she definitely carries the film. Even her co-stars Mimi Rogers, Dean Cain and Peter Bogdanovich aren’t acting up to their full potential. But dammit if Murphy doesn’t give it her all. I’ve gotta hand it to her. It wasn’t the best film of her career, but her presence certainly made watching it worthwhile.
This is a film of small stature, and while it goes down some obvious paths, it’s not a chore to watch. With a running time of 93 minutes, it’s entirely digestible and worth checking out on Blu-ray or DVD if you’re at a loss while browsing the video store shelves.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
The high point of this film is Brittany Murphy’s presence. Everyone else seems to be cashing in a paycheck. It’d be nice if some of the secondary cast has secured their acting caps a little better.
And while it was nice to see Tim Thomerson of “Trancers” fame show up again in a movie, he did seem a bit tired and pedantic in this film. Like I said, Murphy carried the whole thing, and she’s the key to making this film work.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
There are no special features on the Blu-ray.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Anyone who wants to see Brittany Murphy’s final film and those who enjoy a decent psychological thriller.