Director Gus Van Sant's insanely engrossing dark comedy is an electric pieceof filmmaking that dazzles the mind with its mangled view of reality for onewoman and the lives of the families effected by it.

Little Hope, N.H. had a dreadful and high profile murder case hit theirsmall cozy town, and whose face graces each front page with hair, make-up andfashion in perfect place? None other than the victim's wife and localreporter Suzanne Stone. When news breaks out about Suzanne beingmentioned as a femme fatale who orchestrated her husband's murder, Suzanneremained calm and collected through the whole ordeal, looking at the cameralike a seasoned professional.

The story is told like a media event throughout the movie with candidconversations taking place over a talk show with Larry and Suzanne'sparents; Joe and Angela Maretto ( Dan Hedaya and Maria Tucci), and Earland Carol Stone( Kurtwood Smith and Holland Taylor) as well as personalone on one interviews. We're also given an in-depth and critical analysis ofSuzanne's thoughts about the world, people, and the psycho jibber jabber shethinks she's so on top of, while she video tapes her autobiography for aprominent member of an organization interested in Suzanne's story.

Suzanne Stone( Nicole Kidman) is viciously outspoken, thinkingshe's sophisticated and well articulated but what comes out of her mouth attimes is despicable and vulgar. Suzanne is smart at getting what she wants,sassy, extremely motivated, and driven to succeed at becoming the best newwoman in the field of television reporting. For Suzanne nothing else is asimportant as being on TV and she will do whatever it takes to get the jobdone and see her name in lights. Suzanne sees success in the way one looksand is always trying to up one even at the cost to her sister in law Janice(Illeagan Douglass) who right from the start never did feel Suzanne was theright girl for her brother.

Larry Maretto ( Matt Dylan) is Suzanne's husband who looked up to her andfell in love with her so easily. He even took his college money he wassaving to put a deposit down on a house, as well as buying Suzanne a new car,so she would be happy. Larry helps run his parents restaurant business andhas many ambitions of his own to succeed in. But the one goal he is reachingfor next is to start a family with Suzanne; a goal that is nowhere on herlist.

Suzanne lands a job assisting(running errands) at a local cable station andthrough draining excessiveness, lands herself a place on the late nightweather spot as the station's new weather girl. Now Suzanne has tasted thesweetness of television's power and wants more of it. Suzanne eventuallyoverpowers the station again, and gets a shot at creating a documentary oftoday's teenagers and how they look at life. She works her charms, mediainfluence and her shiny painted manicured hooks into three dopey, lazy, anddrugged out teenagers Jimmy( Joaquin Phoenix), Russell (Casey Affleck) andLydia( Alison Folland) to be in the documentary. She gains their trustthrough their stupidity and in time will worm her way into their personallives.

When walls start to close in on Suzanne from Larry's eagerness to havechildren she begins to explore another outlet that will allow her to focuson herself, and get Larry's ridiculous and constant chatter of starting afamily over and done with..permanently Suzanne brainwashes the teenagersand starts a heated affair with Jimmy luring him and the others intoher web of evil.

Nicole Kidman's performance which gained her a Golden Globe win for BestActress was well deserved. Nicole's ability to transfer her character'semotions at the drop of a pin and basically become a chameleon, to the levelsin which her character is captivating at the least. Nicole Kidmanis a power house of sexy intoxication and charm that could entice bees out of their hive. She is dynamite in this role and I think her bestperformance to date.

Matt Dylan is another actor who is pushing his way through the tunnels ofcreativity as he develops into an even more amazing and skillful performer.His performance is alive with personality and he is one of the mostcharismatic and important actors of his generation.

Joaquin Phoenix is engrossing to watch as he drifted further into theseduction trap that ultimately destroyed his life. Casey Affleck and AlisonFolland shine on screen and make the roles their own with lots ofcreativity and control of their character's vulnerabilities and strengths.

Illeana Douglass gives a piercing performance as well as comical relief toher grief stricken character. Another performance that shows how incredibleshe is in drawing your attention to her. An actress who had so much spirit and a gift of getting inside of a character's state of mind and projecting withgreat confidence.

Overall a superb cast of supremely talented individuals that shine,mesmerize and keep you glued to the screen.

To Die For is rich in character driven performances and is a stunning,bizarre, and tightly twisted black comedy. An intelligent and daring pieceof filmmaking which will leave an icy feeling over your skin especially inthe last moments of the story. The wickedly consuming music composed byDanny Elfman generates its own alluring and chilling background as itsqueezes you tighter into the tale.