NateWatchesCoolMovies Borderline plays around with the grey areas of the human mind that control impulse, empathy and rational thinking, showing (albeit in slightly stunted and blunt B movie form) us a recently released psychiatric patient with Borderline Personality Disorder who becomes obsessed with bis former doctor. Gina Gershon is Lila Coletti, a prison psychiatrist who is very good at her job. Maybe too good. When she sanctions the release of Ed Baikman (Sean Patrick Flanery), she has no idea the heap of trouble she's headed for. Ed is anything but rehabilitated, just a charmer who's great at disguising his instability. Pretty soon people in Lila's life start to get mysteriously injured, and even killed. She is protected by her boyfriend, Detective Macy Kobacek (a slick Michael Biehn), but it may not be enough to put a stop to Ed's crafty, dangerous game. Gershon has always been a strong force, despite being saddled with a lot of... I don't want to use the M word, but let's say, promiscuous roles. She holds her own as a lead female protagonist in a real world context even better, and I wish she'd get more roles like this. Flanery is creepy without resorting to gimmicky grimacing or run of the mill psycho stuff. Biehn is Biehn, he's just a legend in any role. Most of the acting besides those three is pretty patchy, but one can only hope for so much with this kind of low budget fare. Worth it for fans of these actors (they're all favesies of mine), and a not too shabby little thriller.

bkoganbing Gina Gershon stars in Borderline where she plays a psychiatrist who works with the criminally insane, making decisions on parole issues as to whether these folks can function in society. She's got just the background for it having some childhood issues herself. For that reason alone I can't see how she would get a license in the profession.Still that is the premise and add to it she's going through a bitter custodial battle for her two daughters which she loses. But as was said in the classic Casino, she got an out of court settlement when her ex-husband and his girlfriend wind up murdered.Who did it, any number of her patients with whom she's so popular could have. They all like her because she has a big say on when they might get sprung. Looking the best for it is Sean Patrick Flannery who has some transference issues as he has fallen for his therapist big time.The cops are losing their professionalism too. The lead detective on the case Michael Biehn has fallen for Gershon and they're kanoodling hot and heavy. But for that he might have arrested her.Borderline is a rather far-fetched tale that really never gets off the ground. It's with some rather far-fetched material for a plot that our players do their best with.

sol1218 **SPOILERS** Losing custody of her two young daughters Susan & Rebecca, sisters in real life Natasha & Daniella Napoli, because of the hours she keeps and the people that she deals with prison psychiatrist Dr. Lila Coletti, Gina Gershon, is sent into a deep depression. Lila Unable to do her work, counseling and rehabilitating mentally derange and dangerous convicts, at the state penitentiary starts to feel lost and worthless.The first evening the two girls are with their father and his fiancée Paul Coletti and Jenny Kemp,Nick Boranie & Carolyn Balogh, someone breaks into the house and brutally murders them yet leaving the two sisters alone and unhurt. Right away the suspicion of who killed Mr. Coletti and Jenny falls on Dr. Coletti. She had the most to gain by their death with her getting custody of her daughters and the Coletti estate, including the house, worth some two million dollars.Were put right on to who may have been the possible double murder on two former prison inmates whom Dr. Coletti dealt with Ciro Ruiz, Jon Huentas, and Ed Brinkman, Sean Patrick Flanery. The two not only were given parole because Dr. Coletti positive evaluation of them before the prison review board but because they both seemed to have become very infatuated with her. To the point of willing, like Ciro told her, to commit murder in her behalf. As for Lila's part she turns out to be secretly in love with the police detective that's been put on her husbands and his girlfriends murder case Det. Macy Kobacek, Michael Biehn.The movie leaves a number of baffling clues to both the police and audience that has to do with Lila's mental condition. Not just over her loss, to her husband Paul, of her two daughters but her own childhood where both she and her mom were abused by her deranged father. This childhood experience left Lila feeling that somehow he was killed by her or someone else in the family to put an end to their suffering. Ed Baikman whom we soon find out had the same kind of abusive childhood as Lila was put away for some twenty years after murdering both his parents. That's what seemed to have bonded him with Lila who was responsible for his overcoming his anger and inability to function in a free society.Being a suspect in Paul & Jenny's murder becomes more evident when the recently released convict Ciro Ruiz who was seen with Lila, who lied about it to the police, the night of the murders is found dead of an overdose from shooting himself up with drugs that come from the prison pharmacy. Only Lila had access to to the drugs that killed Ruiz! Arrested for murder and put behind bars Lila is in the same prison where she worked at as the prison psychiatrist.It's when Lila is arrested and put in prison when the movie gets really convoluted. First Lila isn't able to make bail, this for a double-murder?, and later is let out to find who really murdered Paul & Jenny! Were then lead to believe that their killer non-other then the weirdo Ed Baikman who seemed to worship the very ground that Lila walks on. Ed mad at Lila because she turned down his advances goes to another psychiatrist Dr. Karen Kendler, Louise Barnes. This causes Lila to storm into Dr. Kendler's office and let her know in no uncertain terms what a mad and dangerous person her new patient is thus having her drop Ed from treatment.The movie goes to it's totally unbelievable and mind twisting conclusion with Lila and Ed's unusual connection to Paul and Jenny's murders that takes us, the audience, into this never never land of madness and insanity. We have Lila's confused and by now flabbergasted boyfriend Det. Kobecek , who suddenly and unexpectedly pops up out of nowhere, only get it in the neck as Lila & Ed have it out with each other. This gives you the impression that both of them must have been cut with the same cookie cutter, out of the same dough, in how crazy and off-the-wall they both act. The ending****MAJOR SPOILERS**** is a real shocker, if you can somehow figure it out. Lila & Ed, had this whole scenario planned right from the start and sucked the love-sick and clueless Det. Kobecek into it making him the fall guy to take the blame, posthumously, for the twin murders! Were also lead to believe that their, Lila & Ed, in some way also related in a photo that we see as the movie draws to a close.

gridoon If having a strong screen presence means that it's difficult for viewers to keep their eyes off you, then Gina Gershon certainly has "it" (the fact that she looks about 10 years younger than her actual age doesn't hurt, either). So it's a shame that her talent is wasted in completely average thriller fare such as this. It's also nice to see Michael Biehn again, but he has the standard cop-romantically-involved-with-the-main-suspect role (actually, I found his partner more enjoyable). Sean Patrick Flanery has the "obsessive psycho" role - a role we've seen about a million times before - and he doesn't bring anything new or creative to it. His uninspired performance is one of the reasons this film is nothing-special; the "TV-movie-of-the-week"-style direction is another. The plot holds your interest until the end, but the "moment of revelation" comes through the oldest trick in the book. I was disappointed. (**)