A man is falsely convicted of the murder of his wife. During his time in jail, he finds comfort from four women with whom he corresponds. After his second court appearance, he is finally freed from prison only to be framed for yet 2 more murders which he did not commit. With the help of his former prison guard, he once again sets out to clear his name
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Swayze plays an inmate on death row wrongly convicted of killing his wife, and whilst in prison he corresponds via cassette tape with four ladies. A prank by one of the jail guards results in tapes getting switched and one of the ladies announces she wishes to exact revenge for this slight, and the rather clever screenplay keeps you guessing right up until the end. It's quite a dark murder mystery of sorts, a gripping thriller, and Swayze really plays Race Darnell very well. Whilst the plot has a few holes, or rather improbabilities, I think it's clever and you have to keep your wits about you whilst watching and after-wards may just feel as ragged as Swayze's denim shirt. Certainly not a brainless film experience, and it has some great stunts, familiar faces and good performances. All in all a rather good film, well Directed and well shot (though nothing arty or unusual) on location in some varied places. The plot carries this film, as well as the performance of Swayze; I enjoyed seeing him riding a horse and dancing (albeit just a bit) again in this - I'm a great admirer of his work and this is a not so well known but noteworthy example of his acting talent.Note: Katy Selverstone (FBI woman) bears a striking resemblance to Jodie Foster, don't you think?
I didn't expect too much from this movie which had no cinema release in the UK, but for its first hour or so it's a competent and original drama, and it just about holds you until its end. Race Darnell, played by Patrick Swayze, on Death Row for killing his wife, exchanges letters in the form of casette recordings with four women, each of them thinking she is his sole support. But one of them discovers the truth, and turns nasty. Soon after, his conviction is reversed; he gets out, and meets up with the women one by one, trying to find out who's threatening him. But before he identifies her, she starts killing the others, using the same method he was supposed to have used with his wife.From then on, the film becomes more implausible, and more gory. Also, though tension is first built up with Swayze going on the run, it's then reduced by cutting away from the action to show the Feds having discussions about who the killer is, instead of them simply pursuing Race implacably. A nice touch - or a digression, depending on your point of view - is a buddy-buddy friendship between Race and one of his former wardens, Horton (Roger E Mosley) who's a fan of cowboy stories. You're kept guessing until the last few minutes, though mainly because one of the characters acts irrationally, and the Feds climb some stairs very slowly! All in all, it's worth a look on TV, or as a bargain rental.
I liked this movie, because just when you think you have it figured out, your wrong. I have never seen Patrick Swayze do this kind of a movie; but he was wonderful in it. Showing us he is as good an actor as he is sexy. It keeps you on edge all the way to end. A movie you don't take a break in.
This movie had the potential to be a decent thriller, but it was hampered by only having about twenty minutes worth of good script, which was mostly used up in the beginning. After that holes started to appear in the story that one could drive a truck through. The movie followed a descending curve from good to ordinary to bad to ludicrous by the time it concluded. It's not recommended.