This film has all the elements to make it great. Anything with Anthony Hopkins at his quirky best is immediately attractive. He kills his wife and then challenges the young lawyer to do something about it. Of course, he has hidden evidence and is messing with the mind of the young prosecutor. Shades of Hannibal Lector. This works pretty well for the most part. There are some real problems. I'm not going to throw in any spoilers, but when you go back over the events when the police first arrive, imagine on what a delicate thread Hopkins' character is treading. That's all I'll say. The other thing that I have trouble with is that while there is an epiphany, it isn't presented in the methodical, thoughtful way that more successful films present such things. Also, everything grinds to a halt for an interminable period. We need a little success and a little desperation from the bad guy. It just didn't fulfill it's promise at the beginning, a common weakness in contemporary psychological thrillers.
