Synopsis

A wealthy Wall Street speculator discovers that his wife is having an affair with David Shaw, an ambitious artist. Rather than confront the couple, Steven Taylor researches Shaw's troubled past and uses his vulnerabilities to draw him into a murder scheme. What appears to be an airtight plan begins to unravel when Emily survives the attack and starts investigating the truth.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is a loose, substantially reworked remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 thriller Dial M for Murder, itself adapted from Frederick Knott's stage play. The remake changes the characters, setting, motivations, and several major story developments.

• Principal photography ran from October 14, 1997, through January 13, 1998. New York locations included the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Manhattan, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the United Nations Headquarters, and Salutation House on Long Island.

• The Convent of the Sacred Heart building served as Steven and Emily Taylor's Manhattan apartment, while Salutation House represented the Bradford mansion.

• Emily's Hermès Kelly bag is a visual reference to Grace Kelly, who was famously associated with the handbag style.

• Much of the artwork seen in the film was created by Viggo Mortensen, who is also an established photographer, painter, and poet.

• The original Blu-ray release includes an alternate ending, with optional commentary. In that version, the final confrontation is staged differently and Emily deliberately wounds herself to strengthen her claim of self-defense.