Synopsis
How many times can you die for love?
In 1949, composer Roman Strauss is executed for the murder of his wife. In 1990s Los Angeles, a detective comes across a mute amnesiac woman who is somehow linked to the Strauss murder.
1991 Directed by Kenneth Branagh
In 1949, composer Roman Strauss is executed for the murder of his wife. In 1990s Los Angeles, a detective comes across a mute amnesiac woman who is somehow linked to the Strauss murder.
Steve Boyum Jeannie Epper Doug Coleman John C. Meier Clarke Coleman Chad Randall Gregory J. Barnett Kenny Endoso Mickey White Jayleen Sun Kelly Malone
Jerry Jost Gary Wright David J. Hudson Mel Metcalfe Terry Porter Joan Rowe David Lee Fein Fred Burke Ken Dufva George Watters II Midge Costin Greg Curda Frank Howard Joseph A. Ippolito Victoria Martin Larry Carow Marty Church
L'altro delitto, เมินเสียเถิดความตาย, Voltar a Morrer, Zemřít znovu, Schatten der Vergangenheit, Morir todavía, Znovu po smrti, Νεκροί Ξανά, רצח מן העבר, Le passé revient, Meghalsz újra, Umrzeć powtórnie, Умереть заново, 환생, Död på nytt, Înviat din morți, 再续前世情, Поново мртав, ხელახლა სიკვდილი
This film may well feature the WORST old people make-up effects in the history of the cinema. Kenneth Branagh's Dead Again is so gloriously camp, melodramatic and cheesy, that it's almost impossible to dislike. The flashback scenes are shot like a mixture of film noir and those classy perfume ads you see on TV. The acting's a mixed bag; Emma Thompson is luminous, Branagh is inconsistent, Robin Williams kills it in a small part. As a film, it's very histrionic, very dramatic, almost to soap opera levels at times, but I enjoyed it. Slightly bonkers but fun.
Ludicrously twisty LA neo-noir script by Scott Frank filled with eccentric character detail and bizarrely organized around amnesia, hypnosis, reincarnation and a genuinely hilarious amount of scissor imagery/violence. As others have noted, this is the kind of thing that’s just begging for the neo-Hitchcockian stylistic excess of a De Palma to match its absurd energy, but honestly it settles well enough with Branagh whose penchant for self-serious operatics (and lack of tonal control of them) sort of works in the materials favor… By the time he’s doing some baroque Edgar Allen Poe murderous generational melodrama insanity in the Long Goodbye tower apartment and Wayne Knight shows up with a pizza right before an experimental art coffee table is used as a weapon it was hard to argue against the weird, silly fun of it all.
[35mm]
Unavoidably my shit, I love the way this works as an extremely convincing imitation of an adaptation of some impenetrable crime novel, even the big third act twist makes more sense on the hypothetical page than it does onscreen. Overbearing and flabby but I can't help becoming entranced. At one point Robin Williams calls Kenneth Branagh "thumb-dick."
This is exactly the reason why you should steer clear of beautiful women with amnesia..
A campy murder mystery with an interesting timeframe mechanic. Dead Again is very noir-ish and twisty and it has a believable romantic angle (Branagh and Thompson were still married at the time).
There were moments where I was ahead of the movie, however, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable.
Good times watching this with Michelle.
Trippy and dippy Kenneth Branagh joint with an amazing music score by Patrick Doyle. It's like a trashy film noir reincarnated as a trashy Italian giallo, and that's why I had so much fun with it this time. Comparisons to Hitchcock were prevalent upon release, but its influences are clearly more Argento and DePalma. Branagh is playful and campy in his dual roles and he breaks hard from the Shakespearean adaptations that he was most recognized for at the time. His directorial path is full of unexpected twists, that's for sure. 8.2/10
I watched this because I remember my uncle--a big movie buff who gave me a lot of movie game as a kid--talking this up. Just one of those movies I was aware of as a movie adults discussed when I was a kid. So, as I'm regressing under quar, I gave it a spin. Sorry to my uncle and parents who I remember liking this, but it was boring as shit. Kenneth Branagh's attempt to do Brian DePalma. Very bad.
Still so fucking mad I watched this. It tries to make "scissors" a motif throughout in the most hamfisted way possible. Has Kenneth Branagh ever been good? No.
Haven’t seen this since it was released and remembered it was more fondly.
Clearly Branagh was going Full Hitchcock here, I’m just not sure if it holds up like I thought it did, kinda like his American accent.
That said there are some pretty brilliant directorial choices and scenes, especially the camp-laden slo-mo intercutting climax which feels more like Ken was going Full De Palma (in a good way).
Has one of the funniest punch outs body movements-meets-zooming camera moments in cinema history….once you see it you’ll know.
Robin Williams as Uncredited Dr. Exposition was a highlight.
I saw this in theaters back in 1991 and remember thinking it was awesome. After enjoying rewatching Branagh’s Frankenstein, I decided to give Dead Again another day in court finally after 32 years. Maybe I should have given it another 32 years. Of course I’ll probably be dead in another 32 years. I technically died already from my heart attack back in 2011 when I was 34, so you could reasonably assert I’ll be “dead again” once I ultimately, permanently expire.
I love this being Branagh’s undying love letter to Emma Thompson. At least until he shagged…
Tonight’s movie on HBO was pretty horrible! I am generally not fond of Kenneth Branagh, even though I happened to see Belfast when it won the People’s Choice Award at TIFF!
However, former married couple Branagh and Emma Thompson star in this far-fetched piece about murders and people with past lives (reincarnated?). Anyhow, most of the acting was good. Branagh and Thompson both try their best to do American accents.
Despite the weird role as a disgraced psychologist, it was nice to see Robin Williams again playing Dr. Cozy Carlisle. Also being graced by Hanna Schygulla’s presence was welcome.
I’m glad I found option to sort films on your IMDb watchlist by streaming service (mobile app only). I found a lot of films I’ve added over the years are streaming on HBO right now including this one.
Vegan alert:
Lots of meat hanging up at Dr. Carlisle’s place.
The 80s and 90s Neo-Noir Project
Heavily pushed as 'Kenny and his luvvie mates have a go at a noir' back when it was released, there's actually a germ of truth in that description.
There is a feeling throughout here that Kenneth Branagh has basically invited his closest buddies round to do their best impression of a Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett. But as impressions go, it's not a bad one and Dead Again is actually quite good fun.
The plot is completely ridiculous and implausible even by the usual standards of this sort of thing and it is rather too reliant on 'past life' flashbacks to piece its story together. However, it's hard not to be entertained with a…