Shattered (1991)

Sadly Over-hyped

Brilliant and touching

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

I really like this movie a lot. For a few years, it looked like Greta Scacchi was really going to become a major sex symbol. I wonder what happened.I do have one big complaint -- not about the movie itself but about the IMDb page. As of today, if you look under quotes, the very first quote completely gives away the secret of the movie. I hope something can be done about that. I'm not really giving a spoiler, just pointing one out that's already there.Tom Berenger and Bob Hoskins are excellent. Corbin Bernsen is OK in a Corbin Bernsen sort of way. Good story, great twist. I'd recommend it to anymore, but please, get rid of that spoiler.

When I first saw this movie I was 15 years old and at that point I thought this movie was pretty awesome. Now, some 15 years later, I would have to say, "meh". Nothing is spectacular about this production but if you can make it to the ending you will be rewarded. It still has one of the greatest endings for a mediocre movie. It is definitely worth watching but don't go out of your way to watch it. In short, if you keep your expectations low enough you will be pleasantly surprised and conversely if you expect too much you will be disappointed. Like many movies, "Shattered" requires a fair amount of suspended disbelief to make its viewing worthwhile. If you can get past some of the unrealistic details and focus on the plot twists your time will not havebeen spent in vain.

I watched this on a snowy Friday afternoon. It was on AMC at a time when I wouldn't have been watching, except for the combination of bad weather at the end of a really busy week where I'd have knocked-off a little early anyway.Missed this movie completely when issued, and never encountered it since. I've always liked Berenger and Scacchi, and would have been sure to see it if I'd heard of it. Apparently, from low box office figures, it didn't stay around long in early release.However, I don't share the enthusiasm for this flick that a number of others here do. I agree with Ebert's view, from another site, that it was "inconceivably implausible." These kinds of "noir" stories usually stretch credibility at some point, but not to the unending extent this one did. I was interrupted a couple of times, so I don't know whether I missed some point as to whether the lead was a true doppelganger for the corpse found towards the end, or whether some sort of reconstructive surgery had been covered or implied in one of the brief parts I missed ---- but it really wouldn't matter anyway.Corbin Bernsen had so little to do (thought he might be a red herring in the beginning), and I guess Berenger needed a partner so it wouldn't look like his business had lapsed during his recovery.The ending, which for me was more corny than shocking, was a little too pat. I suppose there had to be another accident to "resolve" things, but why do these situations always have people driving like a bat-out-of-hell on slick, two-lane, curvy roadways, at the edge of cliffs with guardrails which seem to be made of balsa wood?But my greatest complaint is that the two leads - neither of whose normal acting styles could be termed "animated" in their previous efforts - looked like they might be on an excess of downers throughout the filming. Berenger often has played the "aw shucks" good guy, and even roles where he's beaten the hell out of every bad guy in sight, with a lower-key, understated style. Usually it's effective, but for me it wasn't here.

Dan Merrick (Tom Berenger) and his wife Judith (Greta Scacchi) are involved in a car wreck that leaves Judith with only a scratch but Dan in critical condition that involves restructuring his face to look as much as possible like the old face. Dan has one other serious problem, the shock has left him with amnesia. He tries to put his life back together with the help of his wife but nothing seems real. In trying to piece together his former existence, he tracks down all types of hunches and leads that take him nowhere. Then one day he comes across a strange bill for $7,000 from a pet shop. When he investigates further he discovers that the pet shop owner, Gus Klein (Bob Hoskins), moonlights as a private eye. Gus tells him all kinds of strange happenings including a story about his wife's lover. He also learns that his business partner's wife Jenny Scott (Joanne Whalley) is much closer to him than he wants her to be. As Gus and Dan search for clues, they find more than either one bargained for. The ending is a grabber. The viewer won't be disappointed.Director Wolfgang Petersen of "Das Boot" fame directs with a flair for action and suspense. There is a wild car chase toward the end of the movie that really delivers the goods. Though Petersen's film (which he wrote based on a novel) may not exactly be film noir, it shares several elements in common with that genre including two femme fatales. There is also symbolic use of natural forces such as the pounding of the waves against the shore to enhance portions of the script, which may or may not have been inspired by the 1942 film noir picture "Street of Chance."All the acting is above average, but the standout performance is by Bob Hoskins as the PI who loves animals. There are also bits of humor from a pet shop employee, Sadie (Jedda Jones), over the phone when called asking for Gus.