When we're first introduced to David Pepin, he's contemplating his wife Alice's death. That doesn't mean he hates her. David is madly in love with Alice. It's just their marriage has hit the skids. It was a doomed relationship from the start. After all, they first met in a college class about Hitchcock.
To achieve a better sense of how frayed David and Alice's marriage is, Ross throws in the somewhat sour marriage of Sam and Marilyn Sheppard as a reference. (In fact, Ross puts Sheppard in the role of a detective, regardless of the fact that Sheppard has been dead since 1970.) It makes the reader ponder over this question: if a person is truly discontent with their marriage, can it drive them to murder? (As a sidenote, I strongly believe that Sam Sheppard was wrongly accused of Marilyn's murder.)
Not since Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? have we seen the dark side of marriage. Once in love now just moments away from filing for divorce (or even murder). This, in my opinion, is pretty ballsy stuff for an author's debut. Seriously not one to avoid.
My Rating: *****
I have to be honest, I haven't even heard of this movie but it sounds interesting. Will add it to my queue. Nice review Anna
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this either ... however I do need to see "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" ..
ReplyDeleteGreat review Anna.
Um, guys. That's a book she's talking about.
ReplyDelete*this is my fail face* I've been showing it a lot lately. Too much for my own liking. It's what comes out when I try to multitask and still read the blogs I care about. Sorry Anna!
ReplyDelete