Woman Undone

"Woman Undone" is an exercise in bad moviemaking. The story is idiotic, the dialogue is amateurish, and the acting is wooden. The cinematography is unimpressive. The movie even looks bad, like it was shot on cheap film stock.

There are a few capable actors here, but none of them seem particularly enthused about being involved in this nonsense.

Mary McDonnell plays Terri, an unhappy wife who has relocated to L. A. with her jealous, moody husband (Randy Quaid). In the opening scenes, they're out in the desert, and he is burned to a crisp in their car while she stands on a hill with a horrified look on her face. The local sheriff is sympathetic after what appears to be a horrible accident. No big spoiler: It's not. An autopsy reveals that The charred corpse of her husband had a bullet in his brain.

A semi-retired lawyer (Sam Elliott) agrees to take Terri's case when she is arrested for murder. Just to add to the silliness, we learn in flashbacks that Terri has been boffing a young swim instructor (Benjamin Bratt, in what must be his dumbest role ever).

Did Terri murder her husband? The outcome is somewhat unexpected, but it doesn't lend any sympathy to her pathetic character.

You'll watch this one with a smirk on your face, and you'll cringe repeatedly as you witness some genuinely terrible film making. It's so bad that it's almost fun.