Drama

Comedy

Crime

To Die For

Columbia Pictures

The Rank Organisation

Laura Ziskin Productions

United Kingdom

United States of America

English

Nicole Kidman

Matt Dillon

Joaquin Phoenix

Casey Affleck

Illeana Douglas

Alison Folland

Dan Hedaya

Wayne Knight

Kurtwood Smith

Holland Taylor

Susan Traylor

Maria Tucci

Tim Hopper

Michael Rispoli

Buck Henry

Gerry Quigley

Tom Forrester

Alan Edward Lewis

Nadine MacKinnon

Conrad Coates

Ron Gabriel

Ian Heath

Graeme Millington

Sean Ryan

Nicholas Pasco

Joyce Maynard

David Collins

Eve Crawford

Janet Lo

David Cronenberg

Tom Quinn

Peter Glen

Amber-Lee Campbell

Colleen Williams

Simon Richards

Philip Williams

Susan Backs

Kyra Harper

Adam Roth

Tamara Gorski

Katie Griffin

Carla Renee

Mischa

George Segal

Rain Phoenix

Chris Phillips

Andrew Scott

Missy Stewart

Jonathan T. Taplin

Eric Alan Edwards

Deirdre Bowen

Carol Lavoie

Beatrix Aruna Pasztor

Joseph M. Caracciolo Jr.

Curtiss Clayton

Gus Van Sant

Howard Feuer

Danny Elfman

Laura Ziskin

Steve Bartek

Concha Solano

Donah Bassett

Rossana DeCampo

Gordon Yang

Henry Ilola

Jennifer Myers

Karen M. Clark

Willi Holst

Ken Clark

Andrew Poulos

Parker Logan

Philip Rogers

Tracy Shaw

Sheri O'Rourke

Danny Lima

Carole Wattles

Stephen Spurrell

Regina Robb

Sheena D. Robertson

Shauna Jamison

Robert Fernandez

Michael Rall

Mary Bauer

Peter Appleton

Pablo Ferro

David A. Cohen

Bill Jackson

J. Paul Huntsman

Vlasta Svoboda

Leslie Morgan

Michele Rakich

Roman Alexander Buchok

Barbara Lorenz

Sandy Isaac

David R. Beecroft

David Webb

Patricia Green

Beverly Carr

Steve Wakefield

Doug Coleman

David Parker

Michael Galbraith

Mark Manchester

Carla Meyer

Delphine White

Kelley Baker

Michael Semanick

Ellen Segal

Kevan Dutchak

Jeffrey Pollack

Kathryn Buck

Perry Hoffman

Denis Bellingham

Kerry Hayes

Richard Stone

Amanda Brand

Owen Langevin

Gloria Kaiser

Michael Hall

John Ozolins

Steve Ferrier

Nicole Kidman stars as a local television personality who will stop at nothing to get what she wants, but it is Gus Van Sant's direction that really shines. Kidman plays Suzanne, a none-to-bright woman who decides she wants to be a giant media personality. She marries Larry (Matt Dillon), a restaurateur, and settles for doing the weather at a dead-end television station. Suzanne sees that Larry is not behind her career, and uses a trio of teens to kill him. She begins her plan by befriending them while shooting a documentary, then begins sleeping with James (Joaquin Phoenix), who in turn conspires with Russell (Casey Affleck) and Lydia (Alison Folland). Most of the film is told in flashback by the killers and families of Suzanne and Larry, and Suzanne herself.

"To Die For" is a strange film. Acting wise, the professional cast is saddled with one-note characters. While top-heavy with supporting players, Suzanne never really changes much, or offers enough menace to feel anything for her. Dillon fades into the background as Larry, trying too hard to make him normal. Buck Henry's screenplay is full of fits and starts, never gathering enough darkness to become a successful dark comedy, nor enough edge to become a successful satire. This is a shame, since celebrity due to murderous acts is such a part of our lives today. The film never takes that final step and calls the media on the carpet, instead trying to get the viewer caught up in the mechanics of Suzanne and Jim's relationship, and Suzanne's progressively strange certainty that she will be famous. Gus Van Sant's direction is absolutely fantastic. The interior of Larry and Suzanne's home is hysterical. His camera always finds the perfect tone of a scene, even if the scene is not especially well-written. I am one of the few who did not think much of "Drugstore Cowboy," although I do appreciate many of the films Van Sant has done since. "To Die For" gets the viewer geared up for a no-punches-pulled look at popular culture, then throws in the towel before the bell even rings. I cannot recommend it, despite the fine direction, the rest is a disappointment.

Great performance from Nicole Kidman but this dark comedy didn't always do it for me, though it also could be I'm not the biggest fan of these mockumentary-like style films where actors (in character) talk to the camera. Still well worth watching for a fine cast. **3.75/5**

CinemaSerf

"Suzanne" (Nicole Kidman) is the epitome of ambition as she convinces local cable boss "Ed" (Wayne Knight) that she'll do just about anything to get her foot in the door - even read out the weather forecast! She's not exactly bright, but she knows exactly how to press the buttons to get her ahead. Snag is she's married to "Larry" (Matt Dillon) and he wants a more traditional family unit with, ideally, kids at some point. To that she merely points out that he ought to have just married a baby sitter! She decides that a change is now necessary and to that end recruits the services of the gullible "Jimmy" (Joaquin Phoenix) and his pal "Russel" (Casey Affleck) to eliminate her problem. Thing is, the former lad actually falls for her big time and though compliant both he and his other friend "Lydia" (Alison Folland) might not prove too reliable when the police come a-knocking. She's going to have take a few risks and keep her wits about her, if her dream of daytime television stardom is ever to reach fruition... This starts off strongly depicting the story via a series of interviews with those closest to her, and they serve quite effectively as pillars supporting the deviousness of the plot. Thing is, though, given we know all along who's done what to whom, and why - there's no jeopardy and I missed that. Kidman does fine, but the menacing aspects of the role really do rather peter out half way through and the comedy is more miss than hit. Folland probably delivers best cutting a ditzy and lonely figure as the film develops and it's quite a potent indictment of ambition and manipulation from time to time too, but I just couldn't quite take her seriously. I did really quite like the solution, though! My kind of denouement.

To Die For (1995) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]

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To Die For

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Cast

Nicole Kidman

Matt Dillon

Joaquin Phoenix

Casey Affleck

Illeana Douglas

Alison Folland

Dan Hedaya

Wayne Knight

Kurtwood Smith

Holland Taylor

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