Irrésistible

SYNOPSIS

In this muddled psychological drama, Susan Sarandon gives a dominating performance as a stressed-out book illustrator who becomes convinced that her husband's new assistant (Emily Blunt) is trying to steal her life and family. Cue lots of false jolts and a forced air of unease, as writer/director Ann Turner concentrates more on atmosphere than plot development. The cast members (including Sam Neill as the unsympathetic husband) do their best to animate their sketchy characters, with Blunt's coolly conniving persona an effective contrast to the overwrought Sarandon. But minimal dramatic momentum and scant interaction between the central trio turn what should have been a tense cuckoo-in-the-nest thriller into a plodding study of one woman's mental disintegration. A weak climax adds to the disappointment, concluding with a confusing double twist that seems tagged on.