Good story, Not enough for a whole film

The first must-see film of the year.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I love films about fake psychics who suddenly discover they actually do have psychic powers. "Night has a Thousand Eyes" with Edward G Robinson did it brilliantly, but this film written and directed by Mike Hodges is right up there with the best.This film makes you appreciate Mike Hodge's talent as a storyteller, and there are layers to "Black Rainbow" that make it doubly interesting.Tom Hulce plays reporter Gary Wallace who stumbles across Martha Travis (Rosanna Arquette), a medium who works with her father doing a spiritualist act in South Carolina. We are in "Elmer Gantry" territory here and although we are led to believe the act is a scam, Martha begins to have visions that come true. However the things she sees put her life in danger.Wallace feels he is onto a big story and although he doesn't believe in her powers at first, he becomes fascinated with the enigmatic and sensuous Martha. Without spoiling things, the film has a terrific ending that leaves you wondering. Hodges could come up with a punchy ending – remember "Get Carter"? A perfect cast struts their stuff including a low key Tom Hulce as the disbelieving reporter. Jason Robards goes to town on his alcoholic Walter Travis, the father who doesn't realise his daughter's powers have progressed beyond mere show business.However Rosanna Arquette steals the show as the ethereal Martha. Rosanna Arquette always brought a sense of detachment and a certain quirkiness to her roles and often surprises you with how sexy she could be – her screen persona is hard to define."Black Rainbow" blends together a heady mixture of spiritualism, bent detectives, hit men, corrupt corporate heads and a dash of sex. Mike Hodges captured a slice of life in South Carolina with the same assurance he caught life in the North of England in "Get Carter". It's a penetrating gaze, but not a jaundiced one, he has a feeling for people and the script has touches of wit.British composer John Scott's moody score adds the final touch of quality to a clever little movie that makes for a nice discovery if you ever come across it.

A traveling medium who "performs" in front of large audiences, Martha Travis relays messages from deceased loved ones to their relatives in attendance. Having pushed her into this way of life, her alcoholic father is more than happy to be making (and blowing) the money her shows bring about. One night, however, Martha receives a message from a man who's wife claims he isn't dead. He soon is though, killed just the way Martha had envisioned. Word spreads, and soon skeptical reporter Gary Wallace is on her trail, as is the hit-man responsible for the killing.Black Rainbow is a grimy, slow-burning little southern Gothic. Directed by Mike Hodges, the film is equal parts horror yarn, crime thriller and chastising of fake mediums. Before she begins foretelling deaths, we never are clearly sure if Martha's gift is all an act. Whether it is or not, the image she uses to describe her connection to the afterlife, that of a rainbow, is about to become very blackened indeed. Low key and mysterious, the film is laced with atmosphere that, while often dreary, in reality is quite hypnotic.In a film like this, the characters have to be well-drawn. These are believable, broken people. As Martha, Rosanna Arquette is intensely ethereal. I don't think she's ever looked more stunning, and likewise, I don't think she's ever given a better performance than the one delivered here. She vividly conveys the essence of the character, a woman who turns to sporadic bouts of nymphomania for her only form of gratification. Emotionally worn and hardened by the existence that's been forced on her, Martha lives an empty life giving hope to others while keeping none for herself. Jason Robards plays her father, a louse of a man using his daughter as a cash cow while deriding her every step of the way. Tom Hulce is the cocky reporter, and I recognized the mechanic from The Night Flier as Ted Silas.At one point in the film, Martha is branded a witch due to one of her predictions. The same woman was more than happy to take part in her showings when they were reassuring, but the moment she foresees something bad, the woman does a 180 and puts her down. Ah, good ol' human nature! This leads to Arquette tearing into her final audience with a speech about the affirmation of their own lives through the afterlife. Terrific stuff.Hodges peppers his film with many themes, a key one clearly being the human need for assurance. Under his direction, everything comes together beautifully. One scene is a real stunner, as we bear witness to the force of an unseen explosion. I didn't realize what I was seeing at first, but once it became clear, I had to go back and watch the scene again. A lovely example of creativity through subtlety. Really, despite the run down locations, despite the macabre nature of the proceedings, the entire film has an underlying beauty radiating throughout it. It's a delicate balance, but one that's fully achieved.Wrapping up with an ambiguous ending, the film concludes on a fitting note. This was a great discovery. Never talked about, but utterly satisfying, anyone looking for a real sleeper need look no further. Wonderful film.

The movie begins as a rip-off of Richard Brooks' "Elmer Gantry" (1961)(R. Arquette recalling Jean Simmons),then continues as a " the eyes of Laura Mars" (1978)imitation.Then finally David Cronenberg's "dead zone" serves as an inspiration to the director for the finale.The epilogue,whIch tries to "surprise" the audience has already been used one hundred times or more.Arquette's character's behavior does not make much sense:now a chaste and sweet saint,now a formidable nymphomaniac who rapes poor Tom Hulce .It's a cock and bull story,and as I've already said,the magpie syndrome is rampant.Best avoid.

The script is filled with a series of chilling twists which Hodges plays with an absolute and certain confidence - the eeriness as Arquette's first vision starts to come, and her agitation and attempts to cover as what she is performing turns to real; the second vision where she reels off a list of names of the dead trying to contact the living and said people still alive in the audience start standing up puzzled. Hodges' depiction of a seedy con-job slowly becoming darker is beautifully written. The imagery as Arquette's vistas of heavenly meadows and tranquil afterlife cliches start to change into impressions of cancers, empty lives and of people suffering is a stunning and powerful one. The final soliloquy Arquette gives, coming out to taunt the audience - how they want there to be an afterlife so they can confirm their own lives, how if there wasn't an afterlife and what they had was all that they were given, then wouldn't that make her a fake ? - is superbly written and utterly rivetting in delivery. Arquette's performance in the film is exceptional.