Taglines: Every murder has a mark.
Twisted movie storyline. Jessica Shepard is an on the rise police officer of San Francisco’s esteemed police department, after having solved a big case about a serial killer. Her mentor John Mills is proud of Jessica as a father would be of his daughter, since Mills was the partner of Jessica’s late father. With a newly established promotion, Jessica finds that she might once again have to prove herself in a department that takes no prisoners.
Not to mention a new partner named Mike Delmarco, who might be Jessica’s next closest thing to a confidant. However, a man has been found dead and the two officers are brought into the investigation. What they find is a surprise when the dead in question was a man Jessica slept with, he being part of a list of one night stands that Jessica has engaged in.
Now under suspicion and a terrible drinking problem gnawing at her, Jessica will have to prove to her superiors and to her skeptical partner that she’s not the one behind the murders and Mills is one of the few people standing behind her. This is a story about a woman trying to find the perpetrator of these horrible crimes, before she herself might end as one of them.
For Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Ashley Judd, portraying a strong woman like Jessica, with ambition, drive and enough tenacity to succeed in a man’s world, was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. The interesting dynamics of the character ‘ Jessica not only has learned to operate in a man’s world, but also she has learned to be on par with men both physically and psychologically ‘ especially drew the actress to the role.
“I think the concept is amazing, the writing has great pizzazz and the story is absolutely captivating ‘ just like Jessica herself,” Judd says enthusiastically about her character, who has no qualms about freely expressing both her sensuality and sexuality.
“This is definitely not your classic ‘woman in danger’ movie. It has lots of twists, not to mention an incredibly well-rounded female lead who is ready to take on the sexual double standard and stand up to any man who challenges her. She’s just fabulous, and I love how her toughness doesn’t eclipse her vulnerability.”
Samuel L. Jackson, who portrays the police commissioner as well as a father figure to Jessica, also liked the unpredictability of the story, and he was looking forward to working with a director the caliber of Philip Kaufman.
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Twisted (2004)
Directed by: Philip Kaufman
Starring: Ashley Judd, Andy Garcia, Samuel L. Jackson, David Strathairn, Russell Wong, Camryn Manheim, Mark Pellegrino, Leland Orser, James Oliver Bullock
Screenplay by: Sarah Thorp
Production Design by: J. Dennis Washington
Cinematography by: Peter Deming
Film Editing by: Peter Boyle
Costume Design by: Ellen Mirojnick
Set Decoration by: Barbara Munch
Art Direction by: Thomas T. Taylor
Music by: Mark Isham
MPAA Rating: R for violence, language, and sexuality.
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: February 27, 2004
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