How sad is this?

Dreadfully Boring

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

Fans of psychological thrillers will enjoy this movie's dark, intriguing and moody opening titles which, very simply and effectively, set the scene for the murder mystery that follows. Its deliberate pace, disturbing atmosphere and visual style all contribute to a constant sense of unease and coldness which is often magnified by the rather restrained natures of its two main characters who are interesting to watch because their actions aren't always logical and their motivations aren't consistently clear.A little while after successful Manhattan psychiatrist Dr Sam Rice (Roy Scheider) hears that George Bynum (Josef Sommer), who was one of his patients, has been brutally murdered, Bynum's mistress Brooke Reynolds (Meryl Streep), visits his office to give him her lover's watch so that he can pass it on to Bynum's wife without telling her about their affair. Sam is reluctant to do this but is rushed into agreeing when NYPD Detective Joseph Vitucci (Joe Grifasi) arrives at his office to ask for any information he might have which could help to identify the murderer. Sam tells him that he's unable to help because to do so would involve a breach of patient confidentiality and Vitucci then tells Sam that he could be in danger if the killer thinks that he does, in fact, possess this type of information.After Vitucci leaves, Sam starts to review his records of the sessions he'd had with Bynum during which the serial womaniser (who'd worked as an antiques curator at the upmarket auction house called "Crispin's") had explained how he'd cheated on his wife and dumped his previous mistress to start his affair with Brooke. Furthermore, he'd added that he knew that she'd killed someone in the past and also described a dream he'd had which had left him feeling both puzzled and disturbed.Sam, whose interest in Brooke had been piqued during his sessions with Bynum, finds himself powerfully attracted to her and abandoning his usual cautiousness, decides to try to find out who'd actually murdered his patient. His investigations then put him in extreme danger before some further analysis of Bynum's dream provides him with the breakthrough he'd been seeking."Still of the Night" is a wonderfully atmospheric and elegant-looking thriller that uses numerous Alfred Hitchcock references and motifs that range from passages inspired by "North By Northwest", "Rear Window", "Vertigo" and "Spellbound" to some less obvious ones, such as a mention of an Uncle Charlie ("Shadow of a Doubt") and the technique of suddenly putting the focus on a prop to create suspense (in this case, George Bynum's watch).Although it's essentially a rather lightweight thriller, this movie is very stylish and visually impressive and these qualities combined with its mesmerising performances from Roy Scheider and Meryl Streep result in a higher quality end-result than would otherwise have been possible.

Despite its Hitchcock influence (which is a benefit), Robert Benton provides a good job in directing actors.As an inevitable consequence of having used the techniques of the British Master, the film has quite disturbing scenes which keeps the viewer in suspense, due to the visual and dramatic tension. Roy Scheider and specially a young Meryl Streep, shine in their performances. There's a mystery surrounding Meryl Streep's role in this movie. She is attractive, insecure, it seems that she is looking for company, but at the same time she's unreachable.There is a significant dramatic and psychological aspects that make this thriller deserves more attention.7/10

George Bynum, a patient of Manhattan psychiatrist Dr. Sam Rice, is brutally murdered. Soon afterwards, Dr. Rice is visited by Bynum's co-worker and mistress Brooke Reynolds and by the investigating officer Detective Vitucci. As Dr. Rice reviews the case notes on his sessions with Bynum, he starts his own investigation. At the same time, he finds himself falling for enigmatic blonde Brooke, despite her increasingly suspicious behaviour. The closer Rice comes to the truth, the more he puts his own life in danger...With plenty of Red Herrings on the menu, still of the night may satisfy the appetite of people wanting a good old fashioned thriller with many a plot hole, but seeing as this was released after the far superior dressed to kill, I can understand why it's universally ignored.The cast are fine and all put in great performances,but it doesn't hold any surprises, and when you think for a second it may pull the rug from under you, it doesn't and goes for the most reasonable explanation.It's Hitchcock for Grandma, it doesn't offend, Schieder and Streep look comfortable, and the most threatening thing in the whole thing is when Schieder gets his coat stolen.It could have been a damn fine movie if the writers went for the totally bonkers instead.

When New York City psychiatrist Sam Rice's (Roy Scheider) patient is murdered, the man's mistress (Meryl Streep) pays Sam a visit. She's cool and lovely, and the two feel a spark, but before they know it, it seems the doctor is being stalked by a killer.Do not watch this movie alone, at night, in the dark. Other than that, it's a great little thriller! The director made it as a tribute to Hitchcock and indeed, many of the old master's classic character-types and plot points are included: The icy blonde, the sensitive man who must prove his own innocence by solving a mystery, frequent chilling scenes in lonely rooms where no one ever bothers to turn on a light. Oh, and Jessica Tandy (who was in "The Birds") is here, too, playing Sam's mother. Streep is very young and beautiful, looking oh-so vulnerable and in need of rescuing. Her knight in shining armor, Scheider, plays it so low-key he almost disappears except in the intense, things-that-go-bump-in-the-night scenes where he's absolutely terrified, as is the audience.This is edge-of-your-seat fun that kept me guessing until the dramatic finale; a well-made mystery with good, old-fashioned characters and story and no profanity or on-screen violence. Recommended.