"Armadillo" is an absolutely top-notch film with a complex, absorbing story and brilliant performances. On American tv (with commercials) the movie clocks in at three hours, but you will definitely not be bored. James Frain plays Lorimar Black, a successful young loss adjuster at a posh London insurance firm. He has a sleep disorder and is living something of a double life, but that is the least of his problems compared to what develops in his professional life.
This movie has many plot lines going on, but is always lucid and compelling, thanks to a fine screenplay adapted by the author of the original novel. The stand-out performance is the chameleonic James Frain, who is so natural he never seems to be acting at all. Stephen Rea is hysterical (in both senses of the word) as Frain's paranoid boss. The only bit that didn't quite work for me was Lorimar's romantic obsession with Catherine McCormack's character, Flavia. McCormack is luminous as ever, so we understand why Lorimar would be attracted to her, but she is so bitchy and manipulative with him, Lorimar's passionate pursuit seems slightly masochistic.
This movie has many plot lines going on, but is always lucid and compelling, thanks to a fine screenplay adapted by the author of the original novel. The stand-out performance is the chameleonic James Frain, who is so natural he never seems to be acting at all. Stephen Rea is hysterical (in both senses of the word) as Frain's paranoid boss. The only bit that didn't quite work for me was Lorimar's romantic obsession with Catherine McCormack's character, Flavia. McCormack is luminous as ever, so we understand why Lorimar would be attracted to her, but she is so bitchy and manipulative with him, Lorimar's passionate pursuit seems slightly masochistic.