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The Hook (2004)
Director: Thomas Vincent
Movie review
From Time Out London
Vincent’s adaptation of Donald E Westlake’s ‘The Contract’ is a suitably nasty psychological thriller in the French-Hitchcockian mould. With echoes of Patricia Highsmith, a failed writer with a book and no publisher (Cluzet) strikes a bargain during a train journey with a successful colleague (Giraudeau) with a publisher but writer’s block. The former will kill the latter’s ex-wife in return for half the latter’s advance. Initially, the satisfying plot and motivational twists, fine performances, alongside the clever light and shade effects of cinematographer Dominique Bouilleret build to intriguing effect but unfortunately that gives way as the film dives too deep, too implausibly, into the murky terrain of sado-masochistic psychopathy.Author:
Time Out London Issue 1788: November 24-December 01, 2004
Cast & crew
Director: Thomas Vincent
Cast: François Cluzet, Bernard Giraudeau, Karin Viard
Duration: 107 mins
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