Dolores Claiborne

Based on a Stephen King novel, Dolores Claiborne isn't really a horror film at all; nor is it much of a mystery. It's more of a suspense melodrama (I guess that's what they mean by "psychological thriller").

The story is about a maid accused of murdering the woman for whom she worked for thirty years. Her estranged daughter is informed of the case and comes out (to remote Maine, I believe) to help. Both Dolores (Kathy Bates) and her daughter Selena (Jennifer Jason Leigh) are hardened, difficult women, and the lack of feeling between them supplies most of the movie's tension. The story about the murder is interwoven with a narrative about the mysterious death of Dolores' abusive husband. She was suspected of murdering him, when her daughter was 13, and the psychological make up of her character -- her rage, her solidity, her love for her daughter, is the most interesting thing here.

However, I found the dialogue and acting overwrought. Jennifer Jason Leigh's one-note bitterness was particularly tiresome. I usually like her a lot, and appreciate the roles and movies she chooses. But in Dolores Claiborne she was just a generic damaged woman...