Poison Ivy

Tags

1990's, Cheryl Ladd, Drama, Drew Barrymore, Erotic Thriller, Katt Shea, Poison Ivy, Sara Gilbert, Tom Skerritt

Film Title

Poison Ivy

Director

Katt Shea

Starring

• Drew Barrymore as Ivy
• Sara Gilbert as Sylvie Cooper
• Tom Skerritt as Darryl Cooper
• Cheryl Ladd as Georgie Cooper

A steamy and sinister erotic-thriller/drama, Poison Ivy is not the best of its kind, but is raised up a few notches by the presence of a seductive Drew Barrymore and a better than expected story. It can’t quite escape the B-movie trappings, but has enough things to bring it to a level of credit, no matter how flawed.

Sylvie Cooper is a wise cracking loner, who has a fractured relationship with both her parents and finds any way to push the boundaries with them. She most wants someone to spend time with who understands her personality. Her wish is seemingly granted when she meets Ivy; an entrancing blonde with a wild way about her. The alluring Ivy is at the school on a scholarship and hasn’t come from the happiest background. Both somewhat loners, Sylvie and Ivy bond and form a friendship. Sylvie invites Ivy to stay over in her large house, which becomes something of a permanent thing. Ivy loves spending time at Sylvie’s house and the security she believes it has. Ironically, Sylvie enjoys Ivy’s company because she is different and wild. Sylvie’s mother Georgie is dying of emphysema, while her dad Darryl is a worn out television presenter whose seen better days. Both parents take a liking to the vivacious Ivy; Georgie sees something of herself in the young, rebellious girl, while Darryl begins to develop salacious feelings for her, brought on by Ivy’s come hither wiles. Yet just being with family is not enough for Ivy, she wants to actually be a part of it. And through manipulative ways such as impressively seducing Darryl and charming Georgie, she sets her sights on her goal and raises her dark campaign insidiously. Sylvie grows suspicious of Ivy and her motives, but as she’s probably the only friend she has, clings to the only person she’s ever really related to in life. Soon Ivy’s plan gathers momentum and threatens to destroy Sylvie and her mother, in the hopes of gaining the family she never had and being in control.

Katt Shea has a stylish approach to the often lurid source material, yet finds other areas of character attention that are unexpected. There is a definitely a thriller element to Poison Ivy, similar to other films of the time that involved a home being engulfed by the pernicious influence of an outsider. While that is there, a drama is mainly prevalent in quite a lot of the movie, raising it up a few bars on the level of appreciation. A gorgeous lighting scheme contributes greatly to the mood at hand, one of darkness and sexuality in hues of moody blue and slithering gold. If there is anything you can’t deny about Poison Ivy( even though it is far from amazing) it’s that it turns up the heat without quite becoming x-rated. I mean just take the scene where Ivy seduces Darryl on the hood of his car as rain pours down. It’s sexy stuff that feels steamy yet not overly tawdry. As risible and melodramatic as some of the script gets, it is compensated for by the aura and attention its two protagonists. Both Sylvie and Ivy have their own issues and feelings of alienation to different degrees, which makes both relatable, even when Ivy’s darkness reveals itself. They are both mixed up so it isn’t really a surprise that they find some common ground, until obsession and a desire to usurp corrupts everything. I could have done with Poison Ivy being a bit longer than it’s relatively short running time. It did feel more than a tad rushed at various instances, with events lunging out rather than unfolding. Expansion may have been necessary to the film, yet for what it is, it does it with some style. A generously sinister music score of strings and saxophone is sultry and mysterious, much like the eponymous bad girl who takes centre stage.

The biggest asset to Poison Ivy is Drew Barrymore in the title role. At the time of the film, Barrymore was returning to acting after a much publicized battle with drugs and alcohol . Still aged only 17 and now clean, she managed to rebound thanks to this film and others that followed, paving the way for the bankable star we have today. Drew Barrymore really plays the seductive but not entirely unsympathetic Ivy excellently well; displaying an agreeable charm, hidden menace and touches of yearning. You genuinely buy the seemingly good girl/disturbed vixen act that Ivy has as it is so convincing, yet as played by Barrymore, the Lolita sex appeal comes out and a feeling of being mixed up and abandoned is ever-present. Ivy may be sinister and extremely manipulative in her actions, but she isn’t quite a one-dimensional monster. This is down to Barrymore, whose contradictions of allure, amiability and childlike craving are ideal for this part. Sara Gilbert is also solid in conveying awkwardness, snarky cynicism and a pang of alienation. Her playing of Sylvie as wanting to belong is another part of the film that keeps it from being just another trashy erotic film, mainly because it feels very natural and unaffected. Tom Skerritt and Cheryl Ladd are cast in the supporting parts of Sylvie’s unsuspecting parents, whose lives are wrecked by the consequences of Ivy’s actions . While neither role requires much of a dramatic stretch, both stars bring their game to the roles of philandering husband and dying, embittered mother.

A flawed movie but one with sufficient good areas( notably Barrymore and Gilbert), Poison Ivy is a cut above some erotic movies

Basic Instinct

Tags

1990's, Basic Instinct, Erotic Thriller, George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Michael Douglas, Paul Verhoeven, Sharon Stone, Thriller

Film Title

Basic Instinct

Director

Paul Verhoeven

Starring

• Michael Douglas as Detective Nick Curran
• Sharon Stone as Catherine Tramell
• George Dzundza as Detective Gus Moran
• Jeanne Tripplehorn as Dr. Beth Garner

Unashamedly in your face in terms of sex and violence, Basic Instinct is probably just remembered for that. But there is a lot more to it than just that, there’s a twisting mystery at the heart of it that compliments the lack of subtlety. Twin that with a sexy breakthrough role from Sharon Stone and Basic Instinct is an engrossing erotic thriller that isn’t afraid to shock or reel you in.

Basic Instinct begins with a retired rock star being brutally murdered with an ice pick by a blonde woman(whose face is obscured) during heavy sex. San Francisco Detective Nick Curran is charged with investigating the gruesome homicide. The main suspect in the case is the beautiful bisexual author Catherine Tramell, who seems to have written a book that mirrors the crime committed. Yet Catherine is not about to confess to anything as she knows how to play significant games with those around her, starting with Nick. Although he may try to distance himself from the gorgeous but potentially lethal Catherine, he can’t help but be drawn in by her siren call. Soon enough, he has entered a torrid affair with Catherine in which she takes almost complete charge. Nick himself has his own demons to contend with as his past of drink and booze is still being watched over by Internal Affairs. As more murders are committed and more mystery becomes known, can Nick really afford to be pursuing the icy Catherine? Is this seductive woman really someone who could kill another? Or is someone setting her up out of spite? Whatever the case, it’s not going to be the easiest for Nick to figure out as the relationship with Catherine intensifies.

Paul Verhoeven displays an I don’t give a damn feeling to his direction that allows the erotic and often surprising parts of the story to be seen in full lurid glory. Yet for all the excess, he knows how to keep the mystery angle of the film ticking over with aplomb. Verhoeven brings a European sensibility to Basic Instinct, which is no doubt what made it so controversial on release because of the open attitude to sex and graphic violence. The script, while ludicrous in many ways, excellently combines a perverse game of sexual cat and mouse with a murder mystery that does have you wanting to know more. The characters are a pretty despicable bunch, yet this helps Basic Instinct as no one is above sleazy tactics or potentially fatal behaviour. The sexuality aspect of the film is very present throughout a lot of the exercise and much of it is pretty jaw-dropping. Everyone of course remembers the interrogation scene where Catherine deliciously toys with a room full of officers by revealing that she isn’t wearing any underwear. The same can be said of the sex scenes which are carnal to say the least and not exactly being prudish. Yet to just remember these parts of the film makes people forget that beneath the somewhat trashy surface, a twisting thriller is taking hold in a stylish manner very much like the main female character. That’s what makes Basic Instinct so deceptive, you think it is just something of a skin flick but in actual fact a dark tale is unraveling. The moody and sultry cinematography and an absolutely exceptional score from Jerry Goldsmith going a long way in presenting a tantalizing mystery with erotic frisson.

Michael Douglas stars as the troubled Nick, whose life becomes more tangled once he’s become besotted by the alluring Catherine. It helps that the character isn’t just some innocent, wide-eyed cop. Instead he’s something of a louse with a short temper. Douglas knows to how to play this kind of part by imbuing some desperation in there as Nick starts to think with another part of his anatomy other than his head. Yet the person you will most remember from Basic Instinct is of course Sharon Stone. As the icy, cool and predatory Catherine, Stone has a ball showing the character’s razor-sharp intellect and devastating sensuality. Sex is Catherine’s biggest weapon through the story, yet is this smart woman really capable of murder? It would appear that she has the intelligence for it, but Stone gleefully makes Catherine a slinky femme fatale whose motives and actions are never clear but whose game playing is deliciously executed on the men around her. It’s a star making role that catapulted Sharon Stone to stardom and what a role it is. Aggressively sexy yet coolly collected, Catherine Tramell emerges as a femme fatale of the highest order. In the part of the only redeemable character of Nick’s detective partner, George Dzundza has the appropriate wise-cracking personality for it and brings some comic relief. Excellently rounding out the cast is Jeanne Tripplehorn as the psychologist who has a relationship that isn’t exactly professional with patient Nick.

An often shocking yet engaging thriller coloured with twisted sexuality and a good few red herrings, Basic Instinct is a film that delivers a lot more than just sex and violence. Beneath that the film is a cracking thriller in the best overheated way.

Jade

Tags

1990's, Chazz Palminteri, David Caruso, Erotic Thriller, Jade, Linda Fiorentino, Michael Biehn, Richard Crenna, Thriller, William Friedkin

Film Title

Jade

Director

William Friedkin

Starring

• David Caruso as David Corelli
• Linda Fiorentino as Trina Gavin
• Chazz Palminteri as Matt Gavin
• Richard Crenna as Lew Edwards
• Michael Biehn as Bob Hargrove

A movie that is often its own worst enemy, Jade becomes a severely mixed bag throughout. There may be a few points of praise to be found, but on the spectrum it slides into a more negative side than positive.

David Corelli is a San Francisco Assistant District Attorney with ambitions to go higher. These ambitions are put on hold for his latest investigation which involves a rather grisly murder. A wealthy art dealer by the name of Kyle Medford has been killed in his home with an antique hatchet. Bob Hargrove, a detective on the case and someone who frequently clashes with Corelli discovers compromising photos in the dead man’s safe. Depicting governor Lew Edwards engaging in sex with a prostitute, these pictures as deduced by Corelli, were the fruits of attempted blackmail. Various wealthy businessman were filmed without their knowledge, with their pants down in a beach house. Medford was trying to blackmail them all with footage and photos and it looks as if he payed the price for his actions.Through questioning of various people who appear to have been involved, the name Jade is referenced frequently, arousing the interest of Corelli . The mysterious Jade is a prostitute who was according to other women the most popular lady of night willing to do just about anything for a client. Then things get a lot more complicated for Corelli as fingerprints on the murder weapon are traced back to someone he knows very well. That someone is Trina Gavin, a demure psychologist and non-fiction writer who he used to romance and is now married to his best friend, ruthless defence attorney Matt Gavin. Could Trina really be the mysterious Jade who appears to link everyone? Is she guilty of murder? As digs deeper, more secrets and an unfurling game of perversion, corruption and scandal that reaches high levels of power puts him to the test and could very well threaten his life.

In the films of William Friedkin, he has always managed to imprint his stamp on them, even when they’ve been less than desirable films. The same can be spoken of here because while Jade is a mess, the direction from Friedkin is supremely stylish. It’s a crying shame then that many other parts of the movie, despite some bright spots, can not really get itself together to craft a compelling story. For every good step the movie takes, the two steps back that follow do a major detriment to it. The main point of contention is the script which attempts to make the film unusual and erotic, but ends up feeling dry. It tries to introduce sex games to tantalize the viewer, adding in kinky acts too, but while Jade is billed as an erotic thriller, it’s not nearly erotic enough to sustain interest. On the thriller front, there is a very cool and well choreographed car chase that is mightily effective and one of the highlights of the picture. In it, Corelli gives chase to an assassin’s car and they speed down steep hills and eventually get caught up in a Chinatown parade that hampers both. The scene is one of the best in the movie, which makes it all the more difficult to sit through the rest of the film because the following parts are just a mess. The pace has a quickness too it, but is out-of-place in a movie that should have more of a slow burn about it instead of jumping ship. The characters are not particularly compelling or intriguing, all seem to have a one note tendency. At least there is an exotic and oriental influenced score provided by James Horner that’s sensually orchestrated and gives Jade some of the erotic flavour that much of the picture lacks. And a honeyed cinematography brings a touch of class to proceedings in which respectability is something lacking.

As the script is lacking in many areas, the acting suffers though the main cast tries their best to make something substantial. Noe of the actors can really be blamed as they what they can, but nothing can save this sort of script. David Caruso has the right toughness for the part, but the character is a damp squib who constantly looks morose. If we had more meaning to his character, it could have been something else entirely. In the part of the mysterious Trina, Linda Fiorentino is alluring enough. Yet like with the characterization of Caruso’s role, her part is not given enough input into the story and this is problematic. Even the robust presence of the reliable Chazz Palminteri is squandered by poor writing. Richard Crenna and Michael Biehn(sporting a suspect moustache) are given scant to do here.

So so while the direction is well-appointed, James Horner’s music is sultry and the car chase stands out as a good set piece, Jade feels too convoluted, rushed and one-note to really be considered a great thriller.

Unfaithful

Tags

2000's, Adrian Lyne, Diane Lane, Drama, Erotic Thriller, Olivier Martinez, Richard Gere, Thriller, Unfaithful

Film Title

Unfaithful

Director

Adrian Lyne

Starring

• Diane Lane as Connie Sumner
• Richard Gere as Edward Sumner
• Olivier Martinez as Paul Martel

Executed with style and erotic frisson from director Adrian Lyne, Unfaithful examines the price of a chance encounter between two people and the subsequently dangerous affair that begins.

Connie Sumner appears to have it all: a beautiful house in a New York suburb, Edward, her loving husband and her excitable young son Charlie. While her marriage seems to be stable and all she could ask for, you can’t help but get the feeling that something is missing from it. One day Connie is picking up supplies for her son’s birthday party in downtown SoHo, when a fierce wind blows in. She is literally thrust into the arms of Paul Martel, a handsome, French book seller. He offers to help her clean up her grazed knee and begins to flirt with her. She initially dismisses this and returns home. Yet somehow this chance meeting with a dashing stranger has deeply left a mark upon her. Although she knows what she is about to do is wrong, Connie throws caution to the wind and returns to see Paul, culminating in a passionate love affair. As the relationship grows bolder and Connie becomes consumed by her obsessive desire for the virile Paul, Edward begins to suspect something is wrong. He hires a private detective to watch his wife’s actions to see if she is playing away. Let’s just say that events become complicated and tragic when passion, jealousy and rage meet head-on.

Director Adrian Lyne is the perfect choice to direct Unfaithful as he has dissected adultery and infidelity in many of his films. He gives Unfaithful a stormy and moody visual style as well as a burning amount of animal passion. The camerawork is marvellous in conveying a sense of foreboding such as the sensual windstorm that sweeps Connie into the path of Paul. One can read it as a precursor to the heat that will inevitably drive their affair, but also as a warning for the damage it will cause in the process. And speaking of intense passion, the many love scenes between Connie and Paul are provocative and supremely sexy. With genuine chemistry, sizzling direction and palpable connection, you can practically feel the heat between the characters locked in this love affair. Unfaithful may be billed as an erotic thriller and certain parts of it conform to the genre, but it fares better as a drama about the price of betrayal and obsessive desire. And while some scenes linger on for longer than needed, one can’t deny the steamy and dramatic pulse of the piece. A slow-burning score of clashing passion and serious indecision gives another layer to Unfaithful.

Diane Lane delivers a standout performance in the central role of Connie. We see that Connie is conflicted and passionate at the idea of an affair, but can’t resist the temptation. Rather than make Connie very unsympathetic as a character, Diane Lane brings something else to the part. Coming across as luminous and natural, we may not agree with what Connie is doing but rather we see her wrestle with the scale of what this affair could bring. The crowning moment of this complex performance is Connie on her journey back from sleeping with Paul. A whole collection of emotions flicker across her face: she’s excited, sad, doubtful and slightly elated by the whole thing and Lane makes her feelings so believable and palpable. It truly is a wonderful performance from Diane Lane that gives Unfaithful a whole lot of impact. Richard Gere turns in a quiet performance as Edward, Connie’s husband suspicious of her whereabouts. He is just a mild-mannered man who wants answers and that’s what makes Connie’s betrayal all the more devastating. There is also a rage to Gere’s performance as he begins to feel the betrayal of the women close to him. Olivier Martinez is mainly required to be virile, charming and seductive and he does this with aplomb as he captures Connie’s attention and won’t let go. While the role isn’t much of a stretch in terms of astonishing acting ability, it fits the part well enough.

Sensual and steamy while also being dramatic, Unfaithful is an erotic drama with stylish direction and excellent work from the cast, especially Diane Lane.

 

Wild Things

Tags

1990's, Bill Murray, Denise Richards, Erotic Thriller, John McNaughton, Kevin Bacon, Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell, Theresa Russell, Thriller, Wild Things

Film Title

Wild Things

Director

John McNaughton

Starring

• Matt Dillon as Sam Lombardo
• Kevin Bacon as Detective Ray Duquette
• Neve Campbell as Suzie Toller
• Denise Richards as Kelly Van Ryan
• Theresa Russell as Sandra Van Ryan
• Bill Murray as Ken Bowden

Trashy, flashy, yet deliciously twisted and entertaining, Wild Things is not exactly going to go down as one of the best thrillers in the genre. But with twists a plenty and curve balls throwing you at every turn, it’s impossible not to be caught up in this sordid and deceptive film even if it is a hell of a guilty pleasure.

Sam Lombardo is a handsome and popular high school counselor trying to climb to the social elite of the paradise that is Blue Bay, Florida. He is lusted after by most women in town who wouldn’t mind a piece of him. One such girl is the bitchy but buxom Kelly Van Ryan, who has her advances rebuffed when she attempts to seduce him after washing his car for a fundraiser. Events take an unexpected turn when Kelly accuses Sam of rape. The once respected counselor’s life is torn to shreds by the accusations as they head to court. And to make matters worse, another student in the form of trailer trash punk Suzie Toller also accuses him of rape. Yet when the case arrives in courts, the real fireworks go off. What initially appears to be an open shut case becomes ever more complicated as Suzie reveals that the girls were lying to get back at Lombardo for dating Kelly’s harridan of a mother Sandra. With the case then apparently settled, everyone tries to go about their lives again. But Inspector Ray Duquette who was assigned to the case when the accusations were made is not so convinced that the case is over and smelling a rat, digs deeper into the sordid case. What he discovers is that no one is what they seem as beautiful but fatal women, multiple motives and double crosses collide in a steamy and seriously twisted game.

Straight off the bat, director John McNaughton gives us simultaneous shots of the murky Everglades and bikini-clad lovelies, to ensnare us into this world of money, lust and suspicion. And McNaughton is not above exploiting the body and pleasures of the flesh for the audience’s desire. I mean some of these scenes play out like something from an adult movie, tinged with a twisty plot thrown in. We have Kelly slinking out of a pool in a tight blue swimsuit, slowly combing her hair and patting herself down in slow motion. A vicious catfight between Suzie and Kelly that leads to a passionate kiss. And not forgetting the infamous menage a trois between Sam, Kelly and Suzie. For all its sleaziness and sometimes ridiculousness, Wild Things is actually quite a deceptive film that does leave you guessing who is telling the truth in a web of lies and lust, that is strangely reminiscent of Noir. It appears that from Wild Things that for all the alligators and snakes that populate the swamps, no creatures are as slimy as those in this movie. The horn and percussive drenched score further brings an erotic and dangerous pulse to the movie.

Considering the sometimes laughable B-movie dialogue on show, the actors at least look like they’re having a blast playing such dangerous and unpredictable characters. Matt Dillon has that smug grin that is called into question by accusations. Yet for all the seemingly pleas, Dillon makes Sam a character who you really aren’t sure whether to root for or hate. Kevin Bacon, who in my opinion can always be relied up to deliver, is great here as the inspector obsessed with busting open the unusual case and getting more than he bargained for. Neve Campbell plays it deceptively cool as the morally complex Suzie, who by turns vulnerable, lonely, strange and very elusive. Denise Richards is never going to go down as a great actress but she is suitably sexy and catty as the blue-blooded sexpot whose accusations set in motion the strange and unpredictable case. Theresa Russell is loose and unrestrained as Kelly’s mother who is prone to fits of rage and diva like antics. But it’s Bill Murray in a small role who has the most fun. As the ambulance-chasing, low-rent lawyer of Sam, Murray has a blast playing this quick-witted and slightly scheming guy.

Sleazy, erotic and dark-hearted, Wild Things is pure guilty pleasure, with a few neat twists thrown in for good measure.

 

Body of Evidence

Tags

1990's, Anne Archer, Body of Evidence, Erotic Thriller, Jürgen Prochnow, Joe Mantegna, Julianne Moore, Madonna, Thriller, Uli Edel, Willem Dafoe

Film Title

Body of Evidence

Director

Uli Edel

Starring

• Madonna as Rebecca Carlson
• Willem Dafoe as Frank Dulaney
• Joe Mantegna as Robert Garrett
• Anne Archer as Joanne Braslow
• Julianne Moore as Sharon Dulaney
• Jürgen Prochnow as Dr Alan Paley

It was meant to be an erotic thriller with an added dash of courtroom drama but from watching the critically derided box office bomb that is Body of Evidence, it becomes abundantly clear that is neither erotic or thrilling. With Madonna in a weak performance and the talents of good actors wasted, Body of Evidence represents what can only be described as a train wreck of a film.

In Portland, Oregon, a wealthy old man by the name of Andrew Marsh has been found dead after suffering a fatal heart attack while restrained to his bed with handcuffs. At the time of death he was watching a home movie and the police believe that the girl in the film, Rebecca Carlson, a beautiful art gallery owner and Andrew’s much younger lover is connected in some way to the death of him. Rebecca is arrested and put on trial, where her adventurous and unusual sex life is brought up as a means for her to kill her elderly lover. Representing her is Frank Dulaney, who tries everything he can to clear Rebecca’s name and counteract everything said by the opposition of Robert Garrett, the ambitious defense attorney on the trial. Garrett believes that Rebecca used her seductive charms and vigorous bedroom activities to murder Andrew, as the man had a debilitating heart condition and was set to leave his young lover $8 million in the event of his death. Yet as the trial goes on, the married Frank becomes increasingly entranced by Rebecca and throws professionalism out the window to pursue a torrid and unusual love affair with his client. Rebecca dominates Frank with her sadomasochistic tendencies in the bedroom and firmly sets herself up as the one in charge in the strange game of pleasure and pain that she plays. But sooner or later, Frank is left questioning whether or not this seductive woman was capable of cold-blooded murder with the use of her more than sensual body and is he really defending as well as sleeping with an avaricious lust murderer?

The whole set up of Body of Evidence just seems so ridiculous and one can’t take it seriously. The film itself tries to be serious in the court room scenes and surprising with attempted red herrings but it just ends up being completely laughable. Director Uli Edel tries to take the material seriously and does give the movie some good visuals such as billowing MTV see through curtains, candles flickering and sinister shadows, but even that can’t save this movie from inevitable disaster. The score manages to give the film some of the eroticism it sorely lacks with twinkling percussion and seductive guitar forming the backbone. Those two points about the visuals and the music are two of the only things that I can think of that can be praised in this weak film. Marketed as an erotic thriller, Body of Evidence falls short in both departments. The sex scenes between Rebecca and Frank are supposed to be eye-opening and titillating, with the femme fatale Rebecca introducing her dark world of pain and pleasure to the wide-eyed Frank, but the scenes( including the use of candle wax, restraints and an unusual encounter in a parking lot) end up feeling boring and not all erotic in the slightest. The writer tries to incorporate thrills into the story and make us guess whether Rebecca is guilty or not, but with the weak script we really don’t end up caring about whether Rebecca committed the crime.

Chief among the problems of Body of Evidence is the decision to cast pop superstar Madonna in the lead role. She’s never going to go down as the best actress in history, but at least in past movies such as Desperately Seeking Susan and A League of Their Own she was watchable enough and wasn’t a complete disaster. Here her delivery of lines is stilted and unconvincing as her character is accused of using her sex life to kill her old lover. Everyone knows that Madonna can be sexy( hell if anyone knows that sex sells, it has to be Madonna), but that is all she brings to the part and nothing else. Willem Dafoe is wasted as Rebecca’s lawyer Frank, who enters into an illicit relationship with her. Joe Mantegna and Anne Archer don’t fare much better in their poorly written roles as district attorney and secretary for the deceased. And Julianne Moore is just wasted here as Frank’s wronged wife and it really is a shame to see one of my favourite actresses having to slum it with this weak film. Even an appearance from Jürgen Prochnow as an unreliable witness in the case can’t bring anything that great to this mess of a movie.

Unconvincing and not remotely as thrilling or sexy as it wanted to be, Body of Evidence is a weak film that seemed destined for the critical drubbing it received and with good reason.