Single White Female (1992)
Available on Sky Cinema. Single White Female was one of those classic films being churned out in the 90s where substance certainly prevailed over style. Gritty, tense thrillers and dramas that really had you on the edge of your seat where the taut direction, smart scripts and solid acting was very much the order of day and a complete contrast to a lot of the vacuous, pretentious and overcooked stuff we see today. 1992 was a particularly good year with timeless classics such as The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, Basic Instinct, The Lawnmower Man, Unlawful Entry, My Cousin Vinny, Sister Act, Death Becomes Her, A Few Good Men, The Bodyguard, Under Siege, Bram Stoker's Dracula...and a whole lot more. Too many to list here. It certainly was a great time to be a movie buff. How Unforgiven cleaned up at the Oscars that year will also forever be a mystery....and ironically never be forgiven.
Anyway, I digress. Single White Female automatically starts off as a solid 7.5 purely due to the Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh factor. The whole room-mate thing is a quintessential North American phenomenon but that resonance is not lost at all on us foreigners and is the basis of the whole story. What happens when you share your living space with a person who rapidly becomes unhinged and starts taking over your life? Bridget Fonda's character Allie, a successful software designer who has recently split with her boyfriend soon finds out. Trying to keep a handle on what she has she needs a roomie to make ends meet and stumbles across the seemingly perfect roommate Hedy, brilliantly portrayed by Jennifer Jason Leigh. Come on, you should know that if something appears too good to be true, it usually is.
After managing to worm her way into Allie's affections and circle of trust, Hedy fills some of the void that was left by the cheating boyfriend. However, the prospect of a reconciliation is what quickly tips Hedy over the edge and now things ain't so much fun anymore. Fonda and Leigh deliver great performances as they ratchet up the tension and peril. The supporting cast is pretty solid too. Yes, Hedy is deranged but is one of those rare antagonists with whom you will probably end up having more sympathy for than any other character in the film. To that end the final act is not very satisfying at all. I was very conflicted when I watched this the first time. So there are a few plot holes but they are forgivable in what is overall still a great movie nearly 30 years later. Visually it still looks great and has one of those movie iconic lines and scenes. Obviously with the change in social attitudes, the workplace sexual predator/assault (not that it was ever really acceptable) sub-plot may jar with some. I also wonder whether the non-consensual sex scene is as controversial with the genders being reversed? That's perhaps a debate for another day. Anyway, Jennifer Jason Leigh is great. Go, watch it.
I'm giving this an 9/10.
