Movie Type: Police Detective Film, Psychological Thriller
Themes: Going Undercover, Mind Games, Serial Killers
Main Cast: Maura Tierney, Adrien Brody, Terry Kinney, James Naughton, Laila Robins
Release Year: 1999
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
A police detective is on the trail of a psychopath while dealing with demons of her own in the crime thriller Oxygen. Madeline Foster (Maura Tierney) is a plainclothes detective with the NYPD who isn't especially happy with her job. She drowns her sorrows in alcohol and masochistic sex, though even her husband (Terry Kinney) is unaware of the full extent of her erotic obsessions. Madeline finds herself assigned to investigate an unusual kidnapping; Frances (Laila Robins), the wife of a prosperous businessman (James Naughton), has been kidnapped and buried alive. The perpetrators demand the ransom be paid within 24 hours, or the air will run out and Frances will be dead. Madeline surmises that the kidnapper is a career criminal known to the NYPD as "Harry Houdini" (Adrien Brody) for his remarkable ability to escape capture. It soon becomes clear that "Harry" knows who Madeline is, and for him this isn't an ordinary kidnapping but an elaborate psychological game; he is convinced they are alike in more ways than they're different, which makes it all the more fascinating for him. Oxygen received screenings at several 1999 film festivals, including Taos, Gen-Art and Cannes (market); it was later purchased by premium cable network HBO, who showed the film before it went into a limited theatrical run. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
This servicable thriller makes the most of protagonist Maura Tierney's haunted eyes and perpetually harassed countenance, villain Adrien Brody's believable psychopath antics, victim Laila Robins' scream-queen vulnerability, and producer/screenwriter/director Richard Shepard's moody little script. The film's low budget proves both a blessing and a curse. It puts maximum focus on the characters, dialogue, and no-frills noir atmosphere, but it leaves the film without the kind of production values that might have elevated it from cable-TV fare. Terry Kinney doesn't have much to do as the put-upon husband of Tierney's tortured, kinky cop character, especially in the forced epilogue the two must play together. But there's plenty of chemistry between the other principals and lots of real twists in Shepard's sturdy plotting. Fans of her TV roles on NewsRadio and ER may not get what they're expecting from Tierney (here re-teaming with the director who provided her first big break), but surprise is the name of the game in this modest winner. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
Betsy McDonald - Art Director, George Conda - Associate Producer, Laura Rosenthal - Casting, Ali Farrell - Casting, Jennifer L. Pearlman - Co-producer, Raelle Koota - Co-producer, Barbara Pressar - Costume Designer, Vince Maggio - First Assistant Director, Richard Shepard - Director, Adam Lichtenstein - Editor, Karen J. Lauder - Executive Producer, Marcus Ticotin - Executive Producer, William Lauder - Executive Producer, Andrew Farkas - Executive Producer, Rolfe Kent - Composer (Music Score), Rowena Rowling - Production Designer, Sarah Crawley - Cinematographer, Richard Shepard - Producer, Carole Curb Nemoy - Producer, Jonathan Stern - Producer, Mike Curb - Producer, David Patterson - Sound/Sound Designer, Chuck Jeffreys - Stunts, Richard Shepard - Screenwriter
Oxygen is 1999 film, directed and written by Richard Shepard. The film follows a troubled and (unbeknownst to her husband) masochistic cop, Madeline Foster (played by Maura Tierney) as she pursues a kidnapper who calls himself Harry Houdini (Adrien Brody). The Plot resembles Macabre.
Plot
"Harry Houdini" (Adrien Brody) has kidnapped and buried - alive a rich businessman's wife. He demands $1 million in cash from the woman's husband in return for the release of the location of her burial site before she runs out of oxygen. He also states that if police involvement is initiated, he will ensure she is never found alive. As expected, however, police involvement is initiated and Detective Madeline Foster (Maura Tierney) is assigned with the task of finding the buried woman as soon as possible, together with catching Houdini.
It is quickly realized though that Houdini, in fact, wanted the police to get involved so he could commit a second kidnapping - that of Foster. When Houdini is finally caught as the result of a car chase involving him and Detective Foster, he embroils her into his terrifying psychological world as she attempts to get him to reveal the location of his buried victim. When Foster's initial interrogation of Houdini proves unsuccessful, the FBI are assigned to take over the case, although they do not have any more luck. In a plot twist, it is revealed that Houdini has already committed a murder, that of his accomplice. He now has nothing to lose and the police realize the death of the buried woman would not be as significant as first thought.
However, Houdini offers them a final lifeline - if he is allowed to talk to Detective Foster, alone, he will allow his victim to be recovered alive. The police, now just puppets in Houdini's plan, give into his request and Foster is again embroiled in a physiological adventure of self-discovery with Houdini at the helm. Troubled, Foster begins to reveal her darker side to Houdini and he sees a kindred spirit in her. Just when she thinks she is getting through to him, Houdini persuades her that they are more alike than she ever imagined. Will Foster destroy Houdini's plan, or will Houdini be successful in carrying out his finale?
Soon after, it is revealed that Houdini was in fact a painter in the police department, and outlined the entire building in a very detailed map. Just as Foster is revealing the truth, Houdini takes her to the place where he buried the first woman. Foster escapes her hold, and releases the woman and takes Houdini's gun, then pushes him inside the coffin. His fate ends with him taunting Foster, so she shoots him rather than burying him.
The end of the movie is a short scene with Foster and her husband in a bar.
