DANGEROUS COMPANY

Canada, 2015, 87 minutes, Colour.
Alicia Leigh Willis, Rick Ravenello, Melissa Marty, Susan Slome, Anne de Salvo.
Directed by Sheldon Larry.

Dangerous Company is an ambiguous title – with reference to a fashion business which is undergoing difficulties and is under threat from takeover by a Chinese company, something which the owner of the American firm does not want. There are pressures, especially from the agent, Anne de Salvo, but support from the assistant and from the owner’s husband.

Alicia Leigh Willis is Pauline, who has inherited her company from her grandmother and mother – but having to look after her mother dying from dementia while her sister backed away, drinking and on drugs. When Pauline begins to make mistakes with dates and times, losing her phone and other property, she worries that she is going the same path as her mother. However, she is continually reassured by her husband.

One suspects that there is foul play and that Pauline is being set up. Halfway through the film, it is revealed, as expected (especially if one has seen films like Gaslight), that the husband and Pauline’s assistant are in league, even setting up a medical situation with an actor confronting Pauline as her husband and substituting her mother’s charts and information.

The film becomes a touch more melodramatic towards the end, especially when the actor starts to blackmail the husband and dies.

This is standard material, even familiar, but it does mean that even familiar material is interesting to see how it works out.

1. Business thriller? Psychological thriller?

2. The familiar story of the successful woman, loving her husband, being hounded by her husband, to madness, dementia, for the takeover of the business? In league with his wife’s assistant?

3. The Los Angeles setting, the city, companies and skyscrapers, offices? Luxury homes? Hospital? City locations, for the struggle and death? The musical score?

4. The title, ambiguity, Pauline and her company, the company of her husband and assistant?

5. The situation, the company, from her grandmother and mother, American production, design? Chinese interests? Sales and takeovers, consequences? Pauline wanting to hold onto the company?

6. The visiting Chinese, his agent and her forthrightness, the translator, the discussions? The threat to disintegrate the company? The pressure from the agent, her visits? The businessman speaking English? The revelation that he had had dealings with Aaron?

7. Pauline, competent at work, Elizabeth as her assistant, confiding in her? Love for her husband, the home sequences? Her forgetting, change of dates for dinners, late for meetings, losing her phone, car keys, the wrong shoes for the concert…?

8. Her mother, having dementia, Pauline looking after her, her dying? Her relationship with her sister, the phone calls, the coolness? Her sister coming to visit, going out to dinner with Aaron, his pressurising her, the memories of her past, not looking after her mother, her drinking, the drugs, her husband, custody of her daughters? Her return, wanting to help Pauline, look after her? Helping with the solution to the issue with the shirt? Staying and helping with design?

9. Pauline, the hospital, the medication, staying at home, Aaron and his care, the pills? Her going to the doctor, the test, the actor coming as her husband, the scene, confirmation by Elizabeth? The scans, the x-rays, Pauline asking to look at them again – the background of the robbery at the hospital, revealed a substitution of her mother’s
x-rays?

10. The revelation about Aaron, giving the money to the actor? The actor taking the photos, wanting more money, the confrontation, his death? The media reports? Pauline seeing it, the man posing as her husband? The issue of his shirt, with blood on it? Pauline going to the office, getting the worker to give his shirt, her threatening Aaron with the shirt?

11. Aaron and Elizabeth, the plans, the deceptions, Elizabeth and her forthrightness, the sexual liaison? Bringing the documents, substituting the power of attorney, getting it witnessed?

12. The board meeting, Aaron urging the sale, the approval? Pauline arriving, the accusations of murder, the shirt, the Chinese man walking out, Elizabeth pulling the gun, the struggle, shooting Aaron?

13. The resolution, Pauline and the previous investigations from Jason, his passing them on to Elizabeth? Getting Ray to do further investigations, contact with other companies? And her sister helping her?

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