Innocent, The MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +2 Content: -3

A sordid, dark tale of deceit, espionage and intrigue, THE INNOCENT tries too hard to be part Hitchcock, part CASABLANCA. It takes place in Berlin during the cold war of the 1950s. An American intelligence agent, Bob Glass (Anthony Hopkins), has enticed Leonard, a young British communications expert (Campbell Scott), to join him in a top-secret spying operation. The task is to install a sophisticated telephone system in a tunnel connecting West Berlin to East Berlin to tap into the Russian phone system. Much to Glass's consternation, Leonard meets a beautiful German woman, Maria (Isabella Rossellini). Is Glass just jealous or is he suspicious of Maria's motive for seeking out the shy, innocent Leonard? As Leonard's life becomes more entangled with Maria's, he is sucked into a whirlpool of violence that ends in a gruesome murder. A scene of Glass, Leonard and Maria at the airport is obviously a copy of CASABLANCA. Too long, too contrived and too unbelievable best describes THE INNOCENT, even with its first rate cast.

The creators of THE INNOCENT obviously copied Alfred Hitchcock, but botched the job by putting the gore on-screen. The lovesick Leonard insists on taking responsibility for disposing of the body of the man Maria has bludgeoned with a meat cleaver. Besides seeing the killing and the hideous aftermath, viewers are subjected to more blood and gore after they have sawed the body in small pieces. Leonard stuffs the body parts into two huge suitcases and we follow him all over Berlin looking for a way to dispose of the bags. The love story in CASABLANCA was conveyed with taste without sacrificing intensity. Not so in THE INNOCENT. Maria's seduction of the naive Leonard is graphic and tasteless. The two of them are shown in various compromising positions in their lovemaking scenes. Also, Leonard forces himself on Maria in one cruel display of anger. Many regular profanities and several obscenities further assault the senses of viewers. THE INNOCENT is guilty of gratuitous violence, graphic sex and offensive language.

Preview Reviewer: Mary Draughon
Distributor: Miramax Films, 375 Greenwich, NY, NY 10013