Backfire (1987)

Backfire (1987). 1h 30m | R

“Donny McAndrew a Vietnam veteran is haunted by the experience of the war, and his conditions seems to be getting worse. His wife Mara seems concerned, but thereu0026#39;s something greedy about her intentions when one night Donny finally cracks.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLikable, slick mystery thriller that works due to it not overly being too clever, but managing to stay one step ahead in its jaded mix of stimulating seductiveness and growing psychological tension. The shady web of paranoia, passion, deceit and underlining guilt never lets story become too comfortable, despite its casual air and fundamental process. Larry Brand and Rebecca Reynoldsu0026#39; compact script plays more towards the taut drama and keeps to this trend, than anything involving charged thrills. But director Gilbert Gates doesnu0026#39;t discard this aspect, but delivers a pinch-full of jarring jolts to feed the story than to just shock. The filmu0026#39;s slight conclusion makes sense and threw me off, but it seems vague to how it came to end with this payoff, especially after what came before it. I wouldnu0026#39;t be surprised if you find it simply plain answer. Gatesu0026#39; expertly handles the excursion with neat, and profitable precision. He peppers up a few atmospheric set pieces, but not in heavy doses. The flowing photography is sharply poised and an extremely effective music score is scorchingly bold. The performances of the three leads; the superbly sly Karen Allen, a wonderfully enigmatic Keith Carradine and Jeff Faheyu0026#39;s terrifically scarred Donny are engrossingly delivered. Dean Paul Martin, Bernie Casey and Dwight Koss provide fine support.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA well-devised and at times innovative film that kept me entertained, even with the structureu0026#39;s creeping ambiguity.”