The Underneath

With this cerebral remake of the 1949 film noir gem CRISS CROSS, director Steven Soderbergh has renounced melodrama and suspense to instead create an art film with the emotional weight of Greek tragedy. The film weaves three time frames together to tell its story. In the present, Michael Chambers (Peter Gallagher) returns to Austin, Texas, for his mother's wedding. In the past, he flees town to escape an outrageous gambling debt, ditching his girlfriend, Rachel (Alison Elliott), in the process. And in the future, when Rachel's new boyfriend, Tommy (William Fichtner), a dangerous club owner, catches them having an affair, Michael comes up with a plan for Tommy to rob the armored car he drives. Soderbergh handles his material so deftly that the viewer is left to question whether it is fate or personal responsibility that drove the characters to their ends. Cinematographer Elliot Davis shoots each section with a distinct look in order to further distinguish the film's three chapters, giving the film a visual aesthetic that is overtly stylish and moody. As the flighty Michael, Gallagher is an attractive--and surprisingly comical--presence. His interactions with the rest of the cast (most notably, Elliott) are at turns hysterical, dramatic, and suspenseful.

Cast:

"...A hypnotic blend of suspense and eroticism....This seductive twisted thriller pulls you right in..." -- Peter Travers , (Rolling Stone)

"...Several subtle marvels of character acting are achieved....The motor here is undoubtedly the rigorously constructed plot, a maze of crossing paths..." -- Nick James , (Sight and Sound)

"...Peter Gallagher puts a fresh film noir spin on Burt Lancaster's old Criss Cross role in THE UNDERNEATH..." -- 3 1/2 out of 4 stars -- Mike Clark , (USA Today)

"...Gallagher gets deep inside this gambler's rotten, addictive core....[Soderbergh] has made that rare thing, a modern-day noir with feeling." -- Rating: A- -- Owen Gleiberman , (Entertainment Weekly)

"...Intriguing....[The] plot strands are deftly orchestrated with an eye toward constructing a thematic argument....The visual style is intense..." -- Todd McCarthy , (Variety)

"...Alison Elliott is pitch perfect in conveying the mystery behind her character..." -- Caryn James , (New York Times)

"...Made with polish and assurance, capably acted and intricately constructed..." -- Kenneth Turan , (Los Angeles Times)

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