Silent Fall (1994) 4.5 of 10 stars ⭐ This Could Have Been Great...

This Could Have Been Great...

SILENT FALL (1994) 4.5 of 10 stars ⭐

BASIC PLOT: 

At Halloween, a vicious, double murder is committed, with no suspects. An autistic boy, Tim Warden (Ben Faulkner) witnesses the murder, but can't speak. Sheriff Mitch Rivers (J.T. Walsh) is convinced retired psychiatrist, Dr. Jake Rainer (Richard Dreyfuss) can help unlock the boy's mind, and identify the killer. Can Dr. Rainer decipher Tim's silent clues in time to save him and his sister, Sylvie, (Liv Tyler) from the dangers that lurk around them?

WHAT WORKS: 

*BEN FAULKNER IS OUTSTANDING as autistic Tim Warden. He gives a stand out performance, that should be lauded as a triumph.

*J.T. WALSH IS GREAT (as always) as Sheriff Mitch Rivers. He's a peripheral character, but ads depth to the whole movie.

*GREAT ATMOSPHERIC The atmospheric setting of remoteness by a lake, and the way the movie is shot, gives the viewer a sense of isolation, which all the characters are also experiencing, in their own way.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: 

*LINDA HAMILTON, FULL STOP. She's a dreadful actress, and I don't understand her career. Other than The Terminator (1984) movies, I can't think of a single example of decent acting from her, but yet I still like her. Maybe her likability is what kept her career alive, because her portrayal of Karen Rainer is atrocious. This is Liv Tyler's first role, and she does a better job here, than Linda Hamilton does. It doesn't help that the character of Karen Rainer is written as one dimensional.

*AKIVA GOLDSMAN NEEDS TO LEARN HOW TO WRITE WOMEN, because this is a HUGE fail. He actually wrote a scene where Karen Rainer (Linda Hamilton) is upset because she witnesses Sylvie Warden (Liv Tyler) put her hand on Dr. Rainer's (Richard Dreyfuss) shoulder. He's just helped her autistic brother have a breakthrough, there's nothing sexual about it. It's one human being thanking another, nothing else. But Karen Rainer throws a huge fit, befuddling Sylvie. Hey male writers, get a clue! Not all women are jealous harpies, or alluring vixens. The scene is laughable, I actually said, "Oh brother," out loud.

*BELIEVABILITY PROBLEMS Autistics can't be hypnotized in the normal way, which Dr. Rainer correctly espouses. But a lame excuse by Dr. Harlinger (John Lithgow) about how he, "spoke with a judge last night," and suddenly this gives him power to supercede Dr. Rainer's authority (Tim's doctor of record). It also gives him the power to hypnotize autistics (maybe he got HypnoToad from Futurama to do the work for him). NOT how that works!

*MORE BELIEVABILITY PROBLEMS Because of this lame attempt at hypnosis, Sheriff Rivers (J.T. Walsh) decides to disregard his own post mortem and forensics reports, and he arrests the boy. What?! C'mon!

*DRUGS WOULDN'T BE ALLOWED OUT OF A HOSPITAL Drugs with serious side effects, like paralysis when mixed with alcohol, are NEVER given outside of a clinical setting. It's deus ex machina, and it's ridiculous!

*COPS DON'T LEAVE GUNS LAYING AROUND Cops who leave guns laying around for psychos to get them is laughable! It just doesn't happen, and again, it's yet another deus ex machina.

*ENDING IS SACCHARINE The cloyingly sweet happy ending is the final let down. Even the song, "Healing," by Wynonna & Michael English, is a saccharine finality to a movie, that due to it's subject matter, shouldn't have such a sunshine and cupcakes finish (and I love Wynonna, but it doesn't work here).

TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION: 

*I can't in good conscience recommend this movie. It's too bad, because most of the acting in it is first rate. But between the logical fallacies, the deus ex machinas, and the completely unbelievable plot points, this movie fails, where it could have succeeded. The actors cannot overcome the numerous ludicrous plot devices. If these types of reality problems don't bother you, and you like thrillers, give it a go. Just don't expect too much...

CLOSING NOTES: 

*I HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THE FILM, or production in ANY way. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews. Hope I helped you out.