Kim Greist is a useful, understated presence in a thriller, particularly when she has an ordinary person to play. We find her more persuasive in Manhunter than as the elusive romantic figure in Brazil.
Fi1m perspective
In Manhunter (1986), Kim Greist's Molly Graham gives Michael Mann's thriller a domestic life beyond its investigation. She plays the protagonist's wife, and her understated presence makes sense in that supporting role. Mann's cold control leaves room for someone who need not add to the unease. We find her effective here, without pretending that the part explains everything she might have done as an actor.
Brazil (1985) asks more of her, with less reliable results. As Jill Layton, the elusive object of desire in Terry Gilliam's dystopian satire, she has to sustain an interest that her reserve does not always repay. Jonathan Pryce gives the film's elaborate absurdities someone to care about; Greist is less convincing at its romantic centre. We were frightened by the detail Gilliam gives bureaucratic cruelty, even as the storytelling began to lose shape. The film remains worth seeing despite that weakness in its casting.
She had made her film debut in the horror picture C.H.U.D. (1984), then moved quickly into those two breakthrough roles. Supporting work continued with the black comedy Throw Momma from the Train (1987). Family films followed, including Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993), alongside television drama and a recurring part in Chicago Hope (1994). The shift makes sense for a performer whose poise is useful to an ensemble. It also puts some distance between her later work and the enigmatic woman Gilliam had asked her to play.
There is a limit to what we would claim for that quietness. In Brazil, it can leave the central romantic figure insufficiently compelling; in Manhunter, it serves a recognisable domestic role without fuss. Mann gets the more persuasive performance of the two. Start with Manhunter, where she has a clear job and does it.
Biography
Kim Greist is an American actress and former model. Born on 12 May 1958 in Stamford, Connecticut, she trained for the stage and worked as a professional model in Europe during her late teens. She returned to the United States at the age of 20 and made her acting debut in the 1983 off-Broadway comedy Second Prize: Two Months in Leningrad, with later stage appearances including the New York Shakespeare Festival.
Greist’s first film role was as Lauren Daniels in C.H.U.D. (1984). She is known for her performances as Jill Layton in Brazil (1985) and Molly Graham in Manhunter (1986). Other credits include Throw Momma from the Train (1987), Punchline (1988), Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993) and its sequel, and television appearances in Miami Vice, The X-Files and Judging Amy (2001). Her final screen role was in 2001; she has since retired from acting.
