What Lies Beneath (2000)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfieffer
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Synopsis: -------
Reviewed by: Faiza Khan

Married to successful bio-genetic expert Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfiefer has all the necessary suburban accoutrements to be the happy housewife. Her daughter has just left for college leaving her in a state of somewhat bored bliss in her idyllic riverside house, where her daily routine involves trimming roses and perhaps attending one of her husband's business dinners.

However, as the title suggests, all is not as it seems, and soon, Pfiefer is going to find herself forced on a strange and terrifying journey to the truth. Cashing in on the success of The Sixth Sense, What Lies Beneath is a thriller in the poorest sense of the term. Michelle Pfiefer's neurotic housewife coincidentally enough, sees dead people.

Harrison Ford's sturdy husband has a few tricks up his sleeve not unlike Bruce Willis in the aforementioned. Though absolutely petrifying, there is no built-up sense of suspense or atmosphere, simply one cheap shock following another. People will undoubtedly jump off their seats, stuff their pashminas into their mouths etc. though to be honest we've all seen it a million times before, in teeny slasher films. A thousand "look behind you" moments, every fridge door when closed has someone standing behind it, every mirror or reflective water looked into shows some mystery figure standing by. There are ten shocks too many, and several twists in the tail, that aren't actually in the tail at all, since it's all the film has going for it.

Ford and Pfiefer both seem to perform almost reluctantly, lacklustre would be an understatement. Other than the travesty of the plot and direction, the saddest thing about this film is the realisation that Michelle Pfiefer now has barely discernible lines on her face, the most beautiful face in Hollywood has finally lost some of its radiance and, it seems, most of its talent. Harrison Ford also just about delivers his dialogues without falling asleep during them, lending his role neither dignity nor relevance.

Bizarrely enough, I would recommend this, since it's entertaining enough, if a bit overlong, as with the likes of Cherry Falls and The X-men, this season has not much else to offer. Just remember to mourn at yet another formula Hollywood has discovered that makes money whilst avoiding imagination, vision and effort.