Irresistible (2006)

Director:

Ann Turner

Writer:

Ann Turner (written by)

Release Date:

20 July 2006 (Portugal)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

A secret is not safe if the truth has a witness.

Plot:

A wife and mother is consumed by the thought that her husband's co-worker is trying to win him away from her and their family.

Plot Keywords:

Stalker | Magazine Article | Photo Exhibition | Paranoia | Female Psychopath

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Susan Sarandon	...	Sophie Hartley
Sam Neill	...	Craig
Emily Blunt	...	Mara
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell	...	Sam (as Bud Tingwell)
William McInnes	...	Jimmy
Georgie Parker	...	Jen
Terry Norris	...	Magistrate
Joanna Hunt-Prokhovnik	...	Elly
Lauren Mikkor	...	Ruby
Heather Mitchell	...	Rina
Jill Forster	...	Helen
Joelene Crnogorac	...	Anastasia
Geneviève Picot	...	Mara's Nurse
Carolyn Bock	...	Sophie's Nurse
Alethea McGrath	...	Maggie

MPAA:

Rated R for some violent content, language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:M | Germany:12 | Finland:K-15

Filming Locations:

Citylink, Docklands, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Company:

Baker Street

Trivia:

Susan Sarandon worked with writer-director Ann Turner for six months to get the film's script to meet her specifications before principal photography got underway in Australia (from early-March 2005 through late-April 2005).

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When Sophie is reading the letter addressed to Mara, the address given is Middle Park, 3185, Victoria. The post code for Middle Park is 3206, not 3185. 3185 is the post code for Ripponlea.

Movie Connections:

References The Crush (1993)

Soundtrack:

Time After Time

The Hurdles Susan Sarandon Can Overcome

IRRESISTIBLE is a little film from Australia with big ideas and a clumsy script. The story itself is good with enough variation from the usual thriller scripts to make it enjoyable, but the writing borders on improvisation and doesn't provide the motivation for the development of the story to flow smoothly enough to maintain the credibility of the characters.

Set in contemporary Melbourne, Australia, the story begins in media res with our heroine Sophie (Susan Sarandon), a successful illustrator, wife of an equally important architect (Sam Neill), and mother to two little girls, hearing noises and finding odd incidents. Recovering from the death of her beloved mother and caring for her grieving father (Charles 'Bud' Tingwell), Sophie's stress factor is further heightened by the fact that she has a block about the illustrations for a book whose deadline is nearing. Her husband is supportive and encourages her to get away from her problems by attending a party given by a new associate of his at the firm - the bright and beautiful Mara (Emily Blunt) - who just happens to be wearing the same new dress Sophie has purchased for the party. The two meet, dance together, drink together, but innuendos have started: party guests offer condolences for her mothers death but also suggest she join AA for her 'drinking problem'.

Sophie's mind continues to fragment as she imagines she is being stalked by Mara because of events that happen in her house, with her wardrobe, and with paranoia that her husband and Mara are having an affair. She decides to observe Mara closely, discovering facts that feed her paranoia, and is caught in Mara's house - and arrested. From there the story disintegrates into revelation of facts that border on melodrama with ill-defined motivations marring every scene. To reveal the ultimate nidus for the story's plot would rob the viewer of what little surprises there are here.

Ann Turner could have used a script doctor before shooting this film, as the story is fine: it is just clumsy and not finessed. But once again Susan Sarandon proves she is such a fine actress that she can pull off even a spotty script and create a credible character. Sam Neill and Emily Blunt likewise do the best with what they are given with lines and direction. This is not a bad movie at all, just one that needed a bit of surgery before placing it on the screen, and the film is well worth watching for Sarandon fans. She still is one of our finest actresses on the screen today. Grady Harp