REVIEW:’Word’ gripping but unfulfilling

Bryce Casselman

As millions of people saw the trailer for Don’t Say A Word, they watched a disturbing image of a mentally ill woman, lying on a bed and moving her hands across the tiled wall next to her as she taunted in a soft, creepy voice, “I’ll never tell.”

What won’t she tell exactly, well that’s what Dr. Nathan Conrad, played by Michael Douglas (Traffic, Wonder Boys), spends the rest of the movie trying to find out before his kidnapped daughter is killed by Patrick Koster, played by Sean Bean (Essex Boys, GoldenEye).

The movie begins as many suspense thrillers do these high-tech days, with a quick-moving, seamless bank robbery where Koster and his gang steal a rare, red diamond. Through some unforeseen events, Koster ends up in prison and then, after 10 years the whereabouts of the diamond can only be found in the head of Elisabeth Burrows, played by Brittany Murphy (Girl Interrupted, Drop Dead Gorgeous). Murphy is an enigmatic, mentally ill patient who has been through dozens of doctors and had about the same number of diagnoses.

A side story is intertwined into the plot of Detective Sandra Cassidy, played by Jennifer Esposito (Dracula 2000, The Bachelor), a beautiful, but tenacious cop who is following a string of murders eventually leading her to Conrad and Burrows.

Don’t Say A Word is fairly suspenseful and well acted. Douglas gives his typical, well-delivered performance and Murphy plays the role of the mentally ill as well as the part allows her. Let me explain.

When Dr. Conrad first meets Burrows, she is creepy, evasive and looks as if she spent the last 10 years in someone’s basement and as I said before, tells Conrad she will never tell him the six-digit code Koster is looking for.

Although the story line does try to explain the transformation, the change from the beginning of the movie in Burrows character happened far too quickly as I watched her change from psychotic, basement-dweller person to a girl I could have once dated in high school. So the line should really have said, “I’ll never tell, well, maybe during the next 24 hours I will.”

Don’t Say A Word offers a gripping ride through a story of hidden secrets and trepidation. Unfortunately, like a lot of roller coasters, it happens too fast and leaves you feeling a little unfulfilled.