Paper Mask

Released by: Scorpion Releasing
Released on: January 7, 2014
Director: Christopher Morahan
Cast: Paul McGann, Amanda Donohoe, Frederick Treves, Tom Wilkinson, Barbara Leigh-Hunt
Year: 1990
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The Movie:

Would-be musician Matthew Harris works a dead-end job at a local hospital. When his sister's boyfriend Simon, an up-and-coming doctor, is killed, Matthew learns that the man was to be interviewed at another hospital. He sees an opportunity to better his life and takes it. Pretending to be Simon, Matthew replaces him in the interview and is hired, despite the protests of one physician suspicion of his qualifications. His first day at the hospital is less than stellar, resulting in an ultimatum: shape up or ship out. But rather than shaping up, things go from bad to worse when a patient dies under Matthew's care. Meanwhile, attractive nurse Christine falls for Matthew; she becomes so drawn into his web of deception that she agrees to help him with his charade (lies turn her on, she claims). But when a former friend learns the truth and threatens to go to authorities, Matthew gives in to his murderous impulses.

Based on a novel by John Collee, who also wrote the script—as well as those for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Happy Feet, Creation, Walking With Dinosaurs 3D, and the upcoming Tarzan—Paper Mask plays like a television movie with tits. It isn't particularly exploitational (these are British breasts, mind you), choosing instead to play up its drama for the Masterpiece Theatre crowd. The performances help in that respect. Former Doctor Who Paul McGann (Alien 3, Queen of the Damned) brings a creepy mix of innocent naí¯veté, boyish charm, and sociopathic restraint to the lead role of Matthew, while L.A. Law regular Amanda Donohoe (better known to Rock! Shock! Pop! readers for her role as sexually lascivious Lady Sylvia Marsh in Ken Russell's The Lair of the White Worm) captivates as the girlfriend who enables him. Tom Wilkinson is likewise terrific in a small but important role as a doctor who believes that Matthew is nothing more, nor less, than a lazy, inept kid.

It's telling that the majority of Christopher Morahan's directorial career was spent in television. He had made two previous forays into cinematic terrain, in 1969 and 1986 (the latter to oversee John Cleese in Clockwise). He was simply unable to overcome the static nature of television set-ups and framing devices, thus failing to utilize the wider theatrical ratio of his camera. That's not to say that he bungles the affair entirely; he still coaxes good performances from everyone involved, including the lesser actors. But anyone wanting to check out Paper Mask for its performances should do so knowing that it never quite lives up to its full potential, a problem that lies at the feet of Morahan more than it does anyone else's.

Video/Audio/Extras:

Scorpion has released Paper Mask on DVD in anamorphic widescreen at a 1.78:1 aspect ratio (unlike the 1.33:1 ratio claim on Amazon). While the transfer shows its age in terms of color gradation and detail, it certainly could have looked much worse. There's no print damage, not even the occasional speckling. A few shots contain a very slight shimmering effect, but it's never too distracting. Bright scenes fare better than darker ones, but, in general, there is no loss of detail even in the darker areas of the frame.

The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0. The soundtrack is relatively sedate, with large chunks of the film sans score. It's carried by the dialogue, though when the score—by composer Richard Harvey—does appear, it's largely effective. The British accents sometimes hamper the non-Brit's ability to make out what's being said, especially when the sound mix is low, a problem that could have been remedied by subtitles. Unfortunately, there are none.

Extras are scarce. There's a teaser trailer that runs approximately one minute in length, as well as trailers for other Scorpion releases, including Go Tell the Spartans, Saint Jack, The Girl Hunters, Wombling Free, and The Octagon.

The Final Word:

Paper Mask is a decent film, thanks to earnest performances from everyone involved, particularly McGann, Donohoe, and Wilkinson. The direction suffers from too much television influence, but the script is good enough to overcome the issue. There are no extras other than a teaser trailer, but the film doesn't really call out for the special edition treatment. Fans of the film should be pleased that it's finally been made available in the DVD format.