"Mortal Passions" is, to the best of my memory, the first in-competition film to open in Salt Lake Theaters while it is still showing in the UnitedStates Film Festival. (A few years ago that would have meant you'd save money by watching it in Salt Lake City, but now, if you see it as part of the Park City festival it'll cost you $5; most first-run Salt Lake theaters now charge $5.50.)
But whether you will want to see it at all is up for debate. An odd blend of "Body Heat" and "sex, lies and videotape," "Mortal Passions" is the story of a troubled young married couple, and in the best film noir tradition the audience begins to slowly discover that things are not as they seem, as unexpected twists and turns are revealed in the plot.
The central characters are the husband (Zach Galligan, of "Gremlins"), who is in a deep state of depression after the death of his father, and his seemingly faithful wife (Krista Errickson). He becomes obsessed with fixing up his late parents' huge home and doesn't bother to even go to work. She reluctantly becomes a cocktail waitress in a sleazy tavern.
When the husband's brother (Michael Bowen) appears, it is revealed he has a past history with the wife. At first that seems to be the propelling device that will shake up the story, but it barely scratches the surface.
To reveal much more would spoil the story's surprises, but from this corner just about all of them seemed contrived and artificial.
This is a case of a low-budget film (a mere $500,000 _ chicken feed by Hollywood standards) that has managed to take on a more expensive look. All the technical aspects excel and the actors are fairly effective _ with one unfortunate exception. Errickson is uneven in her performance and lacks the sultry danger of a Kathleen Turner.
On the other hand, Sheila Kelley, as an innocent woman who threatens to upset the plans of those who commit "the perfect crime," is very good. But in her case the character is horribly underwritten.
And that reflects the main problem with this movie _ none of these characters is anything like a real person.
Meanwhile, the story is such a loose ripoff of a dozen films of this type that one wonders if a parody wouldn't have seemed more appropriate. In fact, there are moments when the film seems to be tipping unintentionally in that direction.
"Mortal Passions" won't be winning anything at the festival, and the studio that picked it up so quickly, MGM-UA, will doubtless have this converted to video post-haste.
It is rated R for violence, sex, nudity, profanity and vulgarity.