Panic (2000)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Henry Bromell

Writer (WGA):

Henry Bromell (written by)

Release Date:

26 April 2001 (Singapore)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

A Story of Family, Lust, Murder ...and Other Midlife Crises

Plot:

The story of Alex, who tries to get out of the Family Company but his father wont let him. While seeking the help of a therapist he meets a sexually-charged-23-year-old Girl, who he falls in love with.

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Family Business | Glue | Squirrel | Black Comedy

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

William H. Macy	...	Alex
John Ritter	...	Dr. Josh Parks
Neve Campbell	...	Sarah Cassidy
Donald Sutherland	...	Michael
Tracey Ullman	...	Martha
Barbara Bain	...	Deidre
David Dorfman	...	Sammy
Tina Lifford	...	Dr. Leavitt
Bix Barnaba	...	Louie
Nicholle Tom	...	Tracy
Thomas Curtis	...	Alex - Age 7
Andrea Baker	...	Candice (as Andrea Taylor)
Steve Moreno	...	Sean
Erica Ortega	...	Rachel
Greg Pitts	...	Alex - Age 20

MPAA:

Rated R for language and elements of violence.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:MA | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #37395)

Company:

Artisan Entertainment

Trivia:

Was a feature film for HBO before hitting the big screens.

Quotes:

Michael: Every man has a destiny, Alex. Life is not... random. The trick is discovering your destiny, knowing it. Once you do that, everything else comes easy... just flows.

Movie Connections:

References Running Scared (1986)

Soundtrack:

Clouded

Tailor-made for Macy's string of losers

PANIC (2000) **1/2 William H. Macy, Neve Campbell, Tracey Ullman, Donald Sutherland, John Ritter, Barbara Bain, David Dorfman. (Dir: Henry Bromell)

Character actor William H. Macy has that certain beleagured, world-weary, kicked-dog look about him that fits like a cheap suit but all the same a perfect match for his deceptive moping demeanor. In this black comedy he plays Alex, a depressed contract killer who decides to see a therapist to come to terms with `the family business' with his overbearing father (the always underrated and subtly silky Sutherland) who taught Macy in his preadolescence the fine art of killing for a career. Unbeknownst to his adoring wife Martha (a surprisingly low-key dramatic turn by comedy superstar Ullman) and his precociously wise-beyond-his-years 6 year old Sammy (newcomer Dorfman; cute kid), Alex is seeing Dr. Parks (Ritter) on the sly and his only confidante is his mother (Bain, who seems to have been off the screen radar for some time) who seems like one shrewd cookie (after all that's how her husband got his job!) Unsure of the risk in seeing the shrink, Alex continues when he meets in the waiting room Sarah (the wonderful Campbell, in a nicely played role), a beautiful young woman, who is seeing another psychologist in the adjoining office building. He is immediately smitten by her but remains guarded the entire time, plotting for the right moment which never seems to come.

What makes matters worse is his latest offing: to kill Parks. This conflict of interest gnaws at him and only adds fuel to the fire for his desire for Sarah, who also harbors a yen for the gloomy fellow traveler. All this adds up for some sly dialogue, innuendo and ultimately a final confrontation with Alex facing his fears - his father, his `job' and Sarah over his family. Macy is in fine form with his mild-mannered family man clearly at odds with his other life and the desire he has for Campbell who also acquits herself nicely as the bluntly spoken bisexual freespirit. The film pales in comparison to the latest splinter faction of hitmen in analysis fodder (`Grosse Pointe Blank', `Analyze This' and `The Sopranos') yet it balances the fine line of comedy and tragedy particularly thanks to the cool undulating tones of Sutherland (witness his threat to his son in a bowling alley bar that goes from ice cold to sunny as he impromptu dances with a waitress). If you like your noir with a touch of comedy this is the film for you.