SCISSORS

US, 1991, 105 minutes, Colour.
Sharon Stone, Steve Railsback, Ronny Cox, Michelle Phillips.
Directed by Frank De Felitta.

Scissors is a psychological thriller (farfetched, one hopes). It is a star vehicle for Sharon Stone, who emerged at the beginning of the '90s as a star and a sex symbol, especially with her performance in Basic Instinct. Steve Railsback plays twin brothers, contrasting good and evil brothers. Michelle Phillips is the wife of Ronnie Cox, a psychologist. The film plays on themes of madness, repression, schizophrenia. The film shows some very unethical behaviour by an obsessed psychologist. The twin brothers serve as something of a red herring in terms of the murder mystery of the plot. The film was written and directed by Frank De Felitta, a frequent writer of psychological thrillers.

1. Entertaining thriller? Psychological background? Murder mystery?

2. City settings, apartment blocks, elevators, psychologists' offices, specially designed townhouses...? An atmosphere for the action and characters? Musical score? The use of operatic songs for the freedom of the heroine?

3. The title and the focus on scissors? Angie buying the pair, the attack in the elevator, the murder? The scissors to help her get free, to help the bird get away with the message? Dr Carter finally seen with the scissors?

4. Angie, attractive, attacked in the elevator? Her love of dolls, her collection, fixing them? The harassment by the store owner and her response? Her therapy, the interviews with Dr Carter, his advances? The help from Alex Morgan? Meeting with Cole? Alex and his attentiveness, the dates, the encounter - and her fearful drawing back? The party, her seeing Cole's pictures of her and the bearded man attacking her? Her fear and frustrations? Living alone, her cat? Her going to the empty apartment? Trapped, drugged, the suggestions, the talking bird, the live dolls? The murdered man? Her repression of the story of her life, remembering it in the dream, the attack of her stepfather, her mother killing him? The symbol of the bearded man? Her waking up, schizophrenia? The arrival of Dr Carter, of Anne? Their confrontation and the truth? Her hearing them or not? Pretence or not? Her leaving the apartment, locking them in? The rescue by Alex - and her smile of satisfaction and vengeance looking at Dr Carter?

5. Dr Carter, the psychologist and his reputation, therapy, hypnosis? Angie's phone calls? Alex contacting him and his comment about the telegram? His wife and her political career? The irony of his being the bearded man in the elevator, setting up the rooms, the suggestion, drugging Angie, the suggestions from information gained through hypnosis? The confrontation of his wife? His being trapped in the apartment unable to get out? The parallel with Angie trapped - and writing "help" on the window? The callousness of his use of information, the videos of her behaviour? Justice done to him? His wife, political career, trapped with him?

6. The two brothers, the good brother and his attentiveness, acting career, concern, getting into the apartment, the cat, the rescue? Cole and his bitterness, painting, the pretence of his injuries? Hounding Angie? The confrontation and jealousy with Alex? Standing up? Nancy as the girlfriend and her contact with each of the brothers?

7. Psychological thriller? Plausible? Heightened for the melodramatics?