Word About Biehn

By the time the end credits rolled after my first viewing of Frame By Frame (aka Conundrum), I felt used and abused, much like the film's badly beset heroine. I'd been given a hero that I liked, admired, and trusted, and then, having fully vested my sympathy in him, I saw things begin to change. Slowly, reluctantly, I grew to fear that he wasn't what I'd been so purposefully led to believe him to be. Just as the workings of its plot manipulated its heroine, so too had the movie manipulated me, and very effectively.

Though Frame By Frame may be very good at misdirection and playing havoc with the loyalties and emotions of its audience, this made-for-cable suspense flick is less successful at providing viewer satisfaction. Its story is sordid, its tone sinister, and its shocker of an ending is tough to take. For anyone looking for a "happily ever after" dénouement, Frame By Frame is not the place to find it.

Rose and Stash (Michael) are police officers and partners trying to foil an illegal gaming operation. Their relationship is a close one, and at first, we suspect they may be romantically involved. Not so, however, for Stash is married. He's openly and unabashedly demonstrative about his love for his wife and has just discovered he's about to become a father. His joy seems complete, until his wife is brutally murdered. Stash is devastated and turns to Rose for comfort and love. At first it's assumed that the killing was an act of revenge related to the case Stash and Rose have been working on. But slowly that theory breaks down, and bit by bit the investigation begins to focus on Stash himself. Without hesitation or doubt, Rose supports him, but when circumstances develop to turn suspicion toward her, her trust in her partner is undermined. She's being framed, and to her horror, she realizes that it may be Stash who's doing the framing.

Frame By Frame builds its suspense well, maintains a decent level of interest in its goings on, and is possessed of a competent cast of players. Michael is excellent as he adeptly toys with the emotions of his audience. At one moment, he shows us an angry, committed cop; at another, a tragic victim; and at still another, a cunning deceiver and possible murderer. The role of Stash is a challenging one, because the character does exhibit so many different layers of behavior, and Michael is convincing at all of them. For me, his standout scene occurs when, after his wife has been killed, he seeks out Rose at her apartment. As he reaches out to her for consolation, his anguish is poignant, powerful and mesmerizing to watch. Through his strong performance in Frame By Frame, Michael, too, masterfully manipulates the film's much put-upon viewers.