Film Review: D. O. A. (1988)
Classic films, as a rule, shouldn’t be remade because new versions, even with all the modern updating, are unlikely to match quality and inventiveness of the originals. Some of those efforts, however, can give interesting results, like in the case of D. O. A., 1988 thriller directed by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel.
Script by Charles Edward Pogue is based on the eponymous 1949 film directed by Rudolf Maté and starring Edmond O’Brien, nowadays known as the classic of film noir. Both films have the same opening. Protagonist, Dexter “Dex” Cornell (played by Dennis Quaid) stumbles into police station to report the murder and declares himself to be the victim. Through flashbacks, plot goes few days back and show Dex as English Literature professor at Texan university. Once a promising writer, he failed to produce anything of value after first novel and now is focused on academic career, helped by friendly colleague Hal Petersham (played by Daniel Stern) and clashing with rival Graham Corey (played by Jay Patterson), while also dealing with upcoming divorce with wife Gail (played by Jane Kaczmarek). Depressive Christmas season becomes even more depressive after Nick Lang (played by Robert Knepper), one of his students, apparently commits suicide after Dex failed to review manuscript of his novel. Feeling guilty over the incident, Dex tries to drown his sorrow in a bar where he also has to reject romantic advances of his attractive female student Sydney Fuller (played by Meg Ryan). Next day he wakes up with terrible hangover, and when his conditions worsens, he goes to doctor who gives him unimaginably bad news. Someone apparently gave him deadly poison and he has a day or two to live. Dex becomes determined to find out who took such pains to kill him and the trail leads to Mrs. Fitzwaring (played by Charlotte Rampling), rich and influential woman who was Nick Lang’s adoptive mother.
D. O. A. was directed by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, British couple best known for creating Max Headroom, computer-generated TV host who became one of cyberpunk icons and most recognisable characters of 1980s popular culture. In case of this film, their intention was clear – to make new version as different from 1949 original as possible. They had great help in Pogue’s script which kept only the basic premise while altering almost anything else. And, as it was case with many 1980s film, style was more important than substance. Morton and Jankel show it by framing the prologue in black-and-white, while the rest of the film is in colour; the opening, which takes place in the rain, is made in style of MTV videos. The rest of the film also employs various stylistic experiments, which at times look annoying, but can be justified as a way to portray protagonist’s diminishing ability to act in a normal way due to his fatal condition. Script also plays with film noir and crime thriller cliches but complicating whodunnit mystery with plenty of bizarre characters and strange subplots. Film also features over the top action (escape from mysterious killer armed with nail gun is one of the examples) and some outrageous plot developments (like Dex, despite his condition, using opportunity to have sex with Sydney) that almost make D. O. A. look like unintentional parody. What rescues this film and makes it watchable to those not too reverential towards the original is a very good cast. Dennis Quaid gives very believable performance as an ordinary man suddenly forced to confront his mortality; he is also good in scenes featuring Meg Ryan, with whom he was dating in real life and whom he would marry few years later. Quaid is surrounded by set of very diverse but good character actors who give a lot of variety to different characters and possible murder suspects. D. O. A. ends relatively weakly, with mystery, due to relatively big body count among characters, being resolved through simple process of elimination. The music by Chaz Jankel, renowned rock musician and Annabel’s brother, leaves much to be desired and can be somewhat annoying to those who aren’t too fond of 1980s. Yet, for most of the audience, this unusual film could provide a generally entertaining experience.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9748-d-o-a
Critic: AA