Amazon.com

A tense psychological thriller, Apartment Zero concerns the intertwining of a loner, film buff Colin Firth (The English Patient) and his new mysterious boarder (Hart Bochner) in present-day Argentina. The new roommate is enigmatic and outgoing, befriending everyone that the poor loner could not. But Firth soon suspects a connection between his boarder's appearance and the reports of bodies in the streets murdered for political reasons.

The heart of the film lies in the increasingly bizarre relationship that develops between the two opposites, breeding the seeds of mistrust. An original and offbeat noir-type drama, the film, cowritten by David Koepp (Jurassic Park), proceeds at a slow and deliberate pace, gradually drawing the viewer deeper into the intrigue and isolation of Firth's tortured soul. Some genuinely creepy moments and an all-around macabre mystery make this film worthwhile viewing for mystery fans everywhere. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Reviews (14)

CULT CLASSIC - GREAT ACTING - DON'T MISS IT!
"Apartment Zero" is one of the best psychological character studies ever put on film. Colin Firth (in an amazing performance) portrays Adrian LeDuc, a lonely movie theater owner in Buenos Aires whose mentally ill mother is in the hospital.

Adrian and the other misfit tenants in his apartment building (a transvestite, two elderly British alcoholic sisters, a lonely housewife starved for attention, et al) are all smitten by Adrian's charming new roommate, Jack Carney (played by Hart Bochner, who smolders with every close-up). Adrian feels Jack "has a certain James Dean je ne sais quoi," but he soon finds out that his gorgeous roommate is not all he appears to be.

Great acting by Firth and Bochner. Lots of suspense, double-entendre and sexual innuendo, plus an over-the-top ending you'll never forget.

Atmospheric, haunting, compelling
Hollywood could never pull off a movie this hard to define. Set in Buenos Aires, it stars British Colin Firth, whom everyone is seeing stars over due to the new Bridget Jones film, and American Hart Bochner, the definition of attractive leading man if there ever was one. We need more movies with Hart Bochner's face filling the screen! When he rescues the cat on the ledge, it is movie-making magic. Bochner is a mysterious character who shows up and is taken in by Firth. While the film's ending is quite unexpected and, frankly, a little on the weird side, the flow of this film is gorgeous, careening between humanistic character study and slightly gory crime scenes. At its core, it's about a male friendship between two men who are unstable in different ways -- fascinating to watch. Why more people haven't seen this movie, I have no idea ....

decent thriller in a bare-bones dvd edition
This 1988 thriller, written and directed by Hal Hartley alum Martin Donovan, is set in Buenos Ares and stars Colin Firth (Pride and Prejudice, Valmont) as a lonely young man whose mother has been institutionalized and Hart Bochner (Say Nothing, War and Remembrance) as the lodger he takes in. Firth and Bochner are both very good, and as the story unfolds, one is hard-pressed to know which one is creepier. Is one of them a killer? Not too much gore, and Donovan shows he has a good eye and a feel for atmosphere.

One of my all time faves!
What makes this film so good is how dangerous it is. It teeters on the edge of homosexuality and true friendship and at the same time casts Colin Firth as almost a damsel on the edge of madness to Hart Bochners rogue character. This movie is set in Buenos Aires and and creates a political climate, a delicate madness and an under current of so many divergent sexualities that fuel the film and keep pulling the rope taunter and taunter.
What makes this film so good is how eventually Firth's character expresses his love for a man who is a ne'erdowell and always will be. He goes to the brink of madness and violence but never of sexuality which is what twists this fikm in upon itself. Eventually it seems as if the relationship between the two becomes too fraught with peril for sex but all of there actions for each other are sexualized.
What I find interesting about this movie is that it in no way compromises its sexuality to be politically correct and instead challenges the watcher to stick with it thru a byzantine plot of identity that switches the nerd for the rogue and then the rogue for the nerd. Both men ultimately have no identity. firth's character by harsh abuse racked upon him by his family and currently dementia trapped mother and Bochner thru the way he must live for his terrorist lifestyle.
In the end Firth learns to absorb Bochner's character to have an identity and Bochner hesitates and theefore loses his own. The best movies are about things that are intangibly exchanged thru the physical world of actions representing so much more.

Absorbing Thriller
I should probably see this one again, to sort out all the details, but a first viewing was enough to have me hooked on the story and characters, and left me thinking about them for days afterwards.
As a thriller it is superb, drawing you in slowly, building tension by what is left unsaid, by limiting your knowledge of the characters, and also by making them both thoroughly likable and somewhat detestable. A long, musical scene where the immensly attractive if somewhat sinister Jack rescues a cat from a ledge is a perfect example--he's irresistable to everyone, including the viewer, but we also see the way he stares down the cat and don't quite trust him. Colin Firth's lonely, film-obsessed and alienated loser Adrian is fascinating in his own right.
The heart of the movie lies in the many difficult relationships-Adrian's dislike of the other tenants, their adoration of Jack, and the marvellous, tense, sexually charged relationship between the two, sort of Withnail and I meets Vincent and Theo, meets The Talented Mr. Ripley.
If I have a complaint, it's that all this is carried a little too far, and I think it might have ended a bit better with that plunge from the balcony. Still, that's only a small quibble for an original and daring film like this. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

CULT CLASSIC - GREAT ACTING - DON'T MISS IT!
"Apartment Zero" is one of the best psychological character studies ever put on film. Colin Firth (in an amazing performance) portrays Adrian LeDuc, a lonely movie theater owner in Buenos Aires whose mentally ill mother is in the hospital.

Adrian and the other misfit tenants in his apartment building (a transvestite, two elderly British alcoholic sisters, a lonely housewife starved for attention, et al) are all smitten by Adrian's charming new roommate, Jack Carney (played by Hart Bochner, who smolders with every close-up). Adrian feels Jack "has a certain James Dean je ne sais quoi," but he soon finds out that his gorgeous roommate is not all he appears to be.

Great acting by Firth and Bochner. Lots of suspense, double-entendre and sexual innuendo, plus an over-the-top ending you'll never forget.

Atmospheric, haunting, compelling
Hollywood could never pull off a movie this hard to define. Set in Buenos Aires, it stars British Colin Firth, whom everyone is seeing stars over due to the new Bridget Jones film, and American Hart Bochner, the definition of attractive leading man if there ever was one. We need more movies with Hart Bochner's face filling the screen! When he rescues the cat on the ledge, it is movie-making magic. Bochner is a mysterious character who shows up and is taken in by Firth. While the film's ending is quite unexpected and, frankly, a little on the weird side, the flow of this film is gorgeous, careening between humanistic character study and slightly gory crime scenes. At its core, it's about a male friendship between two men who are unstable in different ways -- fascinating to watch. Why more people haven't seen this movie, I have no idea ....

decent thriller in a bare-bones dvd edition
This 1988 thriller, written and directed by Hal Hartley alum Martin Donovan, is set in Buenos Ares and stars Colin Firth (Pride and Prejudice, Valmont) as a lonely young man whose mother has been institutionalized and Hart Bochner (Say Nothing, War and Remembrance) as the lodger he takes in. Firth and Bochner are both very good, and as the story unfolds, one is hard-pressed to know which one is creepier. Is one of them a killer? Not too much gore, and Donovan shows he has a good eye and a feel for atmosphere.

One of my all time faves!
What makes this film so good is how dangerous it is. It teeters on the edge of homosexuality and true friendship and at the same time casts Colin Firth as almost a damsel on the edge of madness to Hart Bochners rogue character. This movie is set in Buenos Aires and and creates a political climate, a delicate madness and an under current of so many divergent sexualities that fuel the film and keep pulling the rope taunter and taunter.
What makes this film so good is how eventually Firth's character expresses his love for a man who is a ne'erdowell and always will be. He goes to the brink of madness and violence but never of sexuality which is what twists this fikm in upon itself. Eventually it seems as if the relationship between the two becomes too fraught with peril for sex but all of there actions for each other are sexualized.
What I find interesting about this movie is that it in no way compromises its sexuality to be politically correct and instead challenges the watcher to stick with it thru a byzantine plot of identity that switches the nerd for the rogue and then the rogue for the nerd. Both men ultimately have no identity. firth's character by harsh abuse racked upon him by his family and currently dementia trapped mother and Bochner thru the way he must live for his terrorist lifestyle.
In the end Firth learns to absorb Bochner's character to have an identity and Bochner hesitates and theefore loses his own. The best movies are about things that are intangibly exchanged thru the physical world of actions representing so much more.

Absorbing Thriller
I should probably see this one again, to sort out all the details, but a first viewing was enough to have me hooked on the story and characters, and left me thinking about them for days afterwards.
As a thriller it is superb, drawing you in slowly, building tension by what is left unsaid, by limiting your knowledge of the characters, and also by making them both thoroughly likable and somewhat detestable. A long, musical scene where the immensly attractive if somewhat sinister Jack rescues a cat from a ledge is a perfect example--he's irresistable to everyone, including the viewer, but we also see the way he stares down the cat and don't quite trust him. Colin Firth's lonely, film-obsessed and alienated loser Adrian is fascinating in his own right.
The heart of the movie lies in the many difficult relationships-Adrian's dislike of the other tenants, their adoration of Jack, and the marvellous, tense, sexually charged relationship between the two, sort of Withnail and I meets Vincent and Theo, meets The Talented Mr. Ripley.
If I have a complaint, it's that all this is carried a little too far, and I think it might have ended a bit better with that plunge from the balcony. Still, that's only a small quibble for an original and daring film like this. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

MAD AT MYSELF....FOR BUYING THIS
I Don't know what Martin Donovan was hoping to achieve in this visually stunning but emotionally empty piece of garbage. There's so little dialogue that when it comes, you expect something revealing? Forget it...Mary Stuart Masterson, Fionnula Flannagan and Hart Bochner are totally ineffectual, and the plot is so stupid and threadbare, one has to wonder who put up the money for this one!
DO NOT BUY...DO NOT RENT......A WASTE ALL AROUND!

La balada del lobo
Este film es una balada. Una balada triste y meláncolica sobre un amor que nunca fue . Olvidense completamente de todos los géneros que puedan servir para esta película. "Mad at the moon" no puede clasificarse . Por favor , veanla , Martin Donovan es un gran e inusual director que no debe ser olvidado tan facilmente .

La balada como film de horror
La película empieza con un disco puesto es una extraña máquina antigua, luego vemos imagénes en blanco y negro de tres niños que juegan juntos hasta que son separados posteriormente . Este film se centrara en lo que pasa luego de este principio . La niña crecio y vive en un mundo de fantasias inspirado en las novelas goticas que lee. Quiere tener un amor tan ardiente como el de esas novelas , pero termina casandose con el hermano del peligroso y seductor hombre que la atrae. Finalmente ese hombre es un licantropo , y al salir la luna llena se convierte en un hombre lobo , lo cual génera una tensa situación enla familia. No se como clasificar a esta película, puede ser un western , un drama o un film de horror . Y tampoco es prdecible . Es más bien una balada triste sobre amores que jamas ocurren , sobre deseos incumplidos . El estilo aplicado por Donovan a este film es muy inusual . Desde su estilizada fotografía pasando por la milimetrica actuación de todos sus protagonistas. Algunas incoherencias narrativas atacan a la factura géneral del film , pero es un film inusual y sumamente atractivo . Inferior al film anterior de Donovan "Apartment zero" , otra gran película. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

please read this
Hi my name is Jenna Angelini and i have been looking all over the internet/web to see pictures and read all about Dalton James but nothing is working i get stuff that does not make sence and that does not say anything about him i want to read everything about him i am basicly in LOVE with him i think hes an awesome actor and hott to hehe well i loved YOU Dalton in My Father The Hero! Can you please send me some stuff of his web page or something so i can read more about Dalton James and see pictures of him Thank you Jenna

Not worth the money
This is your average substitute teacher takes over movie and puts the kids in line. While I am a big fan of that plot the movie showed no original variation. All of the sceces were somewhat predictable. The ending also was about as classic as you can get with the 2 main characters being united. If you want real substitute teacher action buy a diffrent movie with the same title just buy the one with Tom Berenger. That series also has great sequals. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Interesting
I liked this movie. Its interesting and not predictable. Gabriel Byrne plays an alcoholic father returning to his children after being away 4 years. His wife has recently been killed and he tries to resume his position as head of household. This causes problems for his oldest son who is struggling with guilt over his mother's death, and mixed emotions about having his father back again. Good performances with a non-typical ending.

Had potential, but failed in the last half.
"Empire Records" star Johnny Whitworth plays a misguided youth in this 1996 Martin Donovan directed family drama. Gabriel Byrne and Nastassja Kinski are good, but the last half is so junky. Sadly, this movie failed. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

spoiled the story for some
the other reviews while accurate and complimentary, give the story away. i think it could've been done without giving away so much of the plot. it's a good movie. try to forget what you read and you'll enjoy it more.

GOOD MOVIE
This movie is about a step-father who is so jealous of his step-daughter that he kills her. After her death her spirit comes to her mother and tells her that she had been murdered by him. The movie is about her mother trying to prove that her husband killed her daughter. It is a great movie. The ending will really having you cheering but will be a total surprise.

Christopher Reeve's is a great actor and really plays a great bad guy.

paranormal movie
if you like supernatural and paranormal movies ? See this one its a great movie a muddered girl is coming back from her grave to haunt for revenge and for the truth ... Read more

Reviews (3)

spoiled the story for some
the other reviews while accurate and complimentary, give the story away. i think it could've been done without giving away so much of the plot. it's a good movie. try to forget what you read and you'll enjoy it more.

GOOD MOVIE
This movie is about a step-father who is so jealous of his step-daughter that he kills her. After her death her spirit comes to her mother and tells her that she had been murdered by him. The movie is about her mother trying to prove that her husband killed her daughter. It is a great movie. The ending will really having you cheering but will be a total surprise.

Christopher Reeve's is a great actor and really plays a great bad guy.

paranormal movie
if you like supernatural and paranormal movies ? See this one its a great movie a muddered girl is coming back from her grave to haunt for revenge and for the truth ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Interesting
I liked this movie. Its interesting and not predictable. Gabriel Byrne plays an alcoholic father returning to his children after being away 4 years. His wife has recently been killed and he tries to resume his position as head of household. This causes problems for his oldest son who is struggling with guilt over his mother's death, and mixed emotions about having his father back again. Good performances with a non-typical ending.

Had potential, but failed in the last half.
"Empire Records" star Johnny Whitworth plays a misguided youth in this 1996 Martin Donovan directed family drama. Gabriel Byrne and Nastassja Kinski are good, but the last half is so junky. Sadly, this movie failed. ... Read more