The Intruder

Psychopaths, what would life be without them ? Exactly, we would not have that wonderful movie American Psycho with a brilliant performance by actor Christian Bale. This film actually helped me understand what romance really means. I used to think that everything i need to know i would learn from watching romantic comedy French Kiss ( released in 1995 ) with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline. Oh boy, i was wrong for sure. You see, American Psycho made me realize that flowers and chocolate are too predictable, and very boring for women. That is why women appreciate some real action, just like American Psycho offered. So thank you Christian Bale for teaching me the right path to go. Whenever i think about psychopaths in films, i always come back to a true 80´s classic known as Fatal Attraction. Released in 1987 from director Adrien Lyne. This film tells the story of Manhattan lawyer Dan Gallagher ( played really good by legendary actor Michael Douglas ) who is married and live in a beautiful house. One day he has an affair with Alexandra " Alex " Forrest ( played brillaint by actress Glenn Close ), an editor for a publishing company. At first Dan is having a great time with his new lover, but it becomes clear that there is something really wrong with Alex. Fatal Attraction is a very effective psychological thriller, and shows you that you can never trust anyone completely. The character Alexandra is a perfect example of a person who could destroy anyones life, if you have her too close in your home environment. There is a scene that i think most people will never forget, where she boils Dan´s familys rabbit. If you have not seen Fatal Attraction, i suggest you pick it up on DVD or Blu Ray. This is one of those classics that will always be appreciated by fans of this genre. When you hear the name Dennis Quaid, i Think most people will think about all the classic films he have made. The list is long, but i have to mention two of my personal favourite titles with him in the cast, known as Frequency and of course Traffic. During this spring i was hearing a lot of hype about his new film The Intruder, where he is supposed to play a psychopath from hell. of course this made me curious, to see him do a very different character than he has done before. Is this film a very effective thriller, or is The Intruder most likely one film that will be forgotten on DVD shelves ?

Scott Howard ( Michael Ealy ) and Annie Howard ( Meagan Good ) are a happy couple, who are living a good life thanks to Scott´s work position. Annie Dreams about having a house, outside of the big city. They go look at an old big house, that looks Beautiful and meet the owner Charlie Peck ( Dennis Quaid ). Charlie give Scott and Annie a tour around the house, and they feel that this home is very special for Charlie in many ways. Annie wants this house, so Scott agree to buy it. But as they begin their new lives in the big house, Charlie is still showing up unexpected. At first they think he is just lonely, and need someone to talk to. But it becomes clear that Charlie have a problem letting go of his old house.

I think we need to be very clear about The Intruder. If it was not for the performance of Dennis Quaid, this film would not be as fun to watch as this film is. When he turns on his bad behavior, this film gets going in the right direction. You could probably say that this film reminds us of other psychopaths in other classic films, such as The Stepfather with legendary actor Terry O´ Quinn. Of course these films are very different from each other, but they both have very disturbing personalities. Dennis Quiad gives a performance that clearly stands out from the rest of the cast, and i have to thank him for trying to make his character as insane as he seems to be. If we look at the rest of the cast, here it becomes clear that we have a problem. Not many of the characters feels interesting, such as Scott Howard played by actor Michael Ealy ( who you probably have seen in the romantic comedy Think Like A Man ). He is not awful, but he does not bring anything interesting with his character. I feel that actress Meagan Good ( who i especially remember from the horror film Saw V ) at least make her character Annie Howard loveable. The story surrounding The Intruder is very simple, and works as long as Dennis Quaid is in his scenes. When he is not, i don´t feel as interested in the other character´s lives. One thing that works though is when we see Charlie become more dangerous, and his behavior becomes more disturbing. I actually feel like Quaid should have shown a bit more of his disturbing behavior, and Charlie could have given this film an even stronger message. Director Deon Taylor ( who directed the great thriller drama Supremacy ) have made a psychological thriller that is a step in the right direction since his action film Traffik. It has been a long time since we have seen a disturbed personality as Charlie, and director Dean Taylor clearly must be a fan of Fatal Attraction, and balance this genre in a positive way. The Intruder may not be original in any way, but as a psychological thriller i had a good time watching Dennis Quaid go nuts. One thing is for sure, i will be watching my neighbors from now on, someone of them might be insane ( unless they are naked in the garden, that could be accepted).

Rating: DDD