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Title: STINKY FLOWER
Review: Over the years I have admired the work of director Brian DePalma, even if he patterned many of his films in the shadow of Alfred Hitchcock. CARRIE, DRESSED TO KILL and BODY DOUBLE are some of my favorite thrillers. But there is little of DePalma's visionary direction in this tepid thriller. In fact, so much time is spent on the rivalry between the two detectives that little focus is actually on the murder itself. The script is contrived and puzzling; the performances are far from what you would expect: Josh Hartnett is way out of his league in the role of the heroic cop; the usually dependable Aaron Eckhart doesn't seem to want to be in the movie; Scarlett Johansson and Hilary Swank perform as if they were mimicking Lauren Bscall or Rita Hayworth. It's all dull in the long run and a missed opportunity for all involved.
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