Rent Liebestraum (1991)

When Mike Figgis went all David Lynch on us - Liebestraum review by AER

Who remembers Geordie filmmaker Mike Figgis? Well, this was one of his earliest films (possibly his first American film) and it had an intriguing plotline about an architect whose past is linked to cast-iron department store building. On the verge of being demolished by a friend the architect becomes obsessed with preserving it and becomes embroiled in a murder that happened at the store decades before. He also has designs on his friend's photographer wife.

This is definitely style over content. Derailed by stilited performances and very poor dialogue, the premise for this potentially good mystery-noir is squandered. Memorable locations and set-pieces brought me back all these years later to see if I was too young to understand it when it was released back in early 1992. But in fact it was just as ponderous, poe-faced and silly as it was back in the day. it stars lots of forgotten 90s stars like Kevin Anderson (SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY), Pamela Gidley (TWIN PEAKS - FIRE WALK WITH ME), Kim Novak (VERTIGO), Anne Lange, Catherine Hicks (CHILD'S PLAY), Graham Beckell (LA CONFIDENTIAL) and an early lead from Bill Pullman (INDEPENDENCE DAY).... (not including BP in my list of forgotten stars here.) Director Mike Figgis would get better with practice - LEAVING LAS VEGAS and ONE NIGHT STAND are great. But where is he now???