Jericho Mansions (2003): Dir: Alberto Sciamma / Cast: James Caan, Genevieve Bujold, Jennifer Tilly, Victoria Allen, Bruce Ramsay: Stylish masterpiece about a hotel and its residents particularly one man who cannot venture outside the hotel and has blocked out a previous life that he cannot recall. James Caan plays the superintendent who has rendered the building his world for the last three decades. The landlady is conspiring to kick him out and eventually someone is murdered and found in a dumpster and police believe that they have a suspect when a cell phone is found in the wrong place. Caan sees evidence that points to himself although he is unsure how that can be. Well crafted with a screenplay full of twists and an ending that is riveting and tense. Directed by Alberto Sciamma who knows how to make everyone appear guilty, and he is backed with a cast that can pull of the double nature of trust and deceit. Flawless performance by Caan who struggles to piece everything together with time rapidly running out. Genevieve Bujold as a sadistic landlady is on target as she schemes her way to success, and how she really does fit into the think of things overall. Jennifer Tilly plays a prostitute who is befriended by Caan, and Victoria Allen plays her daughter whose back pack conceals the murder weapon. Clever thriller about a life concealed by betrayal. Score: 10 / 10

This film is so bad it's definitely good. A decent cast led by James Caan & Genevieve Bujold, a tortured script and one of the best buildings ("Jericho Mansions") in cinema since "the Bates Mansion" of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 classic black comedy "Psycho." I would not be the least surprised if this perfect bomb eventually became a cult classic. Maybe if it could get an extended Halloween run at an Art House cinema in Cambridge (MA)? The dialog is pure camp and the cinematography is so confusing and disjointed that a viewer could begin wondering if their sanity could really be counted upon if reality were to be ever so slightly tweaked. In spite of all this it miraculously, somehow, works! From one bad scene to the next one finds oneself, almost hypnotically, waiting to see what will happen next.To avoid including any spoilers I will not comment on the plot. Basically, it probably can be categorized as belonging to the "Mystery" genre but this does not do it full justice as it has aspects of comedy, both black, screwball and otherwise, as well as farce and satire.I would not hesitate to recommend this one to anyone looking for an escape from the mind numbing mainstream cinema that is afflicting the public in these times.

In the world of international cinema, with various countries cultures and actors beginning to have an increased presence on screens internationally, Jericho Mansions is an admirable attempt to merge European sensibility with American storytelling. While unlikely to win major awards, it does deserve some recognition for its professional production design, imaginative steady-cam work and world-class visual effects.

A nice mystery that has lots of twists and turns. The young girl who played Holly was adorable. It had a strong cast and a rich look. I loved the use of the steady cam CSI like graphics. I personally would not have used all of the profanity, but that is me. It was filmed in Saint John, New Brunswick. I was lucky enough to see it at the Tidal Wave Film Festival in November of 2003. It sold out so they had to add another screening.