DOWNPAYMENT ON MURDER
US, 1987, 95 minutes, Colour.
Ben Gazzara, Connie Selecca, David Morse, Jonathan Banks, G.W.Bailey.
Directed by Waris Hussein.
Downpayment on Murder is a thriller about a strange marriage relationship, an obsessive husband, a persecuted wife, the husband's hiring of an assassin to murder his wife - and the audience being led to believe at the opening of the film that she was dead.
Connie Selecca (Hotel) gives a good performance as the wife who loves her husband, is mystified by his behaviour, separates and takes the children away from him and can scarcely believe his violent and murderous attitude towards her. Ben Gazzara uses his sinister style as the menacing and violent husband. The film has an interesting supporting cast including G.W. Bailey (from the Police Academy series) as the assassin - who turns out to be a policeman.
The film is conventional enough in its telemovie style - however, there are some twists which keep audience attention. The film ends more as a melodrama rather than as a violent domestic drama.
1. Interesting and entertaining telemovie? Conflicts in marriage? The resort to violence? Based on a true story?
2. The American settings, the city, the family? Ordinariness? The more sinister side? Musical score?
3. The opening, Karen dead, the true story, the flashbacks? The portrait of Karen, her work, relationship with her children? Friendship with Donna? Love for Harry, marrying him? Harry's daughter and her punk friends, the clashes? Harry giving them money? Financial difficulties? The alienation from Harry? Leaving, the children, his violence? Her house being broken into? Her friendship with the agents, their helping her earlier? The information about the murder attempt? Albert and his concern for her? The threats, her disbelief? The plan for the night, her being alone, the murderer? Her being at the morgue? The irony of the plan, her surviving - and her look at Harry as he was led away? Portrait of a terrorised wife? Bewildered in the breakdown of her marriage? Care for her children?
4. Harry, ordinary, enigmatic? Money deals? His daughter, her friends? Wanting financial support from Karen? The clashes, his violent outbursts? Brutality? The separation, his pleading, intrusion? His deviousness, the talk with Albert and ingratiating himself? The plan for the murder? The money, the discussion with the killer? Their clashes? The pressure? The fulfilling of the contract? His being taped, arrested after the visit to the morgue and his identification of his wife? The irony of his arrest, the possibility of parole? A strange character?
5. Albert, friendly, the caretaker, concern for Karen and the children? Talking with Harry, the beers, talking about criminals? The set-up, the assassin? The revelation that Albert had not betrayed Karen? The assassin, his background, sinister, stalking Karen - and the irony of his being a police officer?
6. Donna, work, friendship with Karen, helping her out, party to the plan?
7. The agents, the insensitive agent and his statements, his partner and his tact? Their investigations, clashes with Harry, helping Karen move? Bodyguards? The news about the assassin? Their participation in the plan and its successful execution?
8. The true story drama, tensions in families? The melodrama with the assassin, the twist of the plot, the faked death and the arrest? Designed for the television audience?
