CAUGHT IN THE ACT
US, 1993, 89 minutes, Colour.
Gregory Harrison, Leslie Hope, Patricia Clarkson, Kevin Tighe.
Directed by Deborah R. Reinisch.
Caught in the Act is a popular piece of entertainment, cable telemovie which is entertaining in an intriguing kind of way. Gregory Harrison, a regular in telemovies and television series, plays an out-of-work actor who has an acting school. When he fails to get the part that he wants, he is caught up in an intrigue of financial movement of money through his bank account. He meets an alleged would-be acting hopeful, played by Leslie Hope, and falls in love with her. Needless to say, as he gets in deeper, there are dead bodies, ten million dollars in his bank account, the police after him and the revelation, of course, that Leslie Hope has engineered everything. However, he uses his acting abilities to outsmart her.
The film strains at credibility - although that does not quite matter in a popular crime entertainment like this.
1. Popular television movie? Murder mystery? Intrigue?
2. The Los Angeles settings, the acting school, homes, restaurants, police stations? Banks? An authentic atmosphere?
3. The ironies of the title, theatre, acting, crimes, apprehension?
4. The portrait of Scott: introduction as he impersonates the television policeman, the clash with the executives, the support of Meg? His past relationship with her? The class, the students and their not paying, Rachel's arriving, his being rude to her, following her? Her leaving the key on the bar, his following her? Apologies, outings, sexual attraction, falling in love? The relationship with her? Meg and her anger at his missing the audition? The bank account, the small amount of money, the increasing amount, the ten million? His behaviour, using some of it to pay the rent, the pressures on him? Rachel and her warnings? The decision to pay the landlord? His death, the arrest? The decision to get the money for bail? His being out, the plan to get the money to Argentina, going to the bank, buying the ticket? His discovery of the truth about Rachel? The getaway, the hotel, the sprinklers, the taxi, the airport? The iron bar in his case? The police arriving, his collaboration with them, the acting? His future? Meg's support?
5. Rachel as the femme fatale, coming to the school, being insulted, the apology, the meals, the money situation, going back to his house, the relationship? Her supporting him? The murder, his apprehension, her getting bail? Her talk about her roommate? The further plans, her being unmasked? The plan to get the money away, her being at the bank, the ticket? Her informing the police following her? At the airport, her abandoning him, the arrest?
6. Meg, casting agent, relationship with Scott, helping him, exasperated, the gift of the answering machine? Participating in the masquerade? The end? Friendship?
7. The police, the interrogation, Scott in jail? The pursuit, the shooting, the acting, the inspector pleased with his performance? The other students and their impersonating the police to trap Rachel?
8. Rachel and her partner-in-crime, the landlord and his demands, his murder? Rachel killing him? The details of the banking plan and the numbers of the accounts?
9. Audiences suspending disbelief, the implausibility of the plot - but enjoyable in an artificial crime thriller like this?
