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[VIDEO REVIEWS]Kidman's Range Filled With Surprises

Published: 05 Jan. 2003, 19:36

Ahh, Nicole Kidman, she of the luminous complexion and wild hair. Do you remember her as the homicidal weather girl in "To Die For"? The tabloids gleefully splashed her tumultuous personal life all over their pages this spring because of a much publicized divorce from Tom Cruise, followed by reports of a miscarriage. She has since tried to maintain a low profile, but the show must go on.

Kidman has kept busy working on several movies. The next one coming to Korea will be "Moulin Rouge," due in mid-July. Other movies, release dates not yet determined, are "Birthday Girl," "The Others" and "The Hours." She sizzles on screen whether playing a bereft mother or a ruthless murderess.

DEAD CALM (1989)

Directed by Phillip Noyce. Starring Sam Neill, Kidman and Billy Zane.

Kidman was 19 years old when her starring role in "Dead Calm" established her as an actress of considerable talent. She plays Rae Ingram, a mother whose son dies in a car accident. Grieving his loss, she and her husband, John (Neill) take refuge on their yacht, the Saracen. They find peace drifting along the ocean waters until another ship, the Orpheus, shows up on the horizon.

The two find Hughie Warriner (Zane), who claims to be the sole survivor of a group food poisoning, onboard the sinking ship. Inviting him onboard turns out to be a big mistake.

Soon enough, John becomes suspicious of Hughie's story and boards the Orpheus to look around. The scene he discovers is horrifying. Before he can get back to the Saracen, Hughie hijacks the yacht, leaving John trapped on the Orpheus. Rae is forced out of her depression to fight for her life. Kidman makes the transformation an electrifying metamorphosis.

TO DIE FOR (1995)

Directed by Gus Van Sant. Starring Kidman, Joaquin Phoenix, Matt Dillon, Alison Folland and Casey Affleck.

"To Die For" is an offbeat, darker-than-black black comedy told documentary style about an accused murderess.

Suzanne Stone (Kidman) lives in the small town of Little Hope, but she longs for fame. Suzanne may just be the weather forecaster for a local station, but she has larger ambitions. "You're nobody in America unless you're on TV," she says. And she'll stop at nothing to get what she wants.

She marries the local hunk, Larry (Dillon), but he turns out to be too ordinary for her plans. She does not envision a life as a housewife, raising babies. It becomes clear to her that the husband must go. Suzanne charms three high school students (Phoenix, Folland and Affleck) into helping her commit murder. After the murder, Suzanne exults in the sensational trial that puts her on center stage.

by Joe Yong-hee