BODY OF EVIDENCE
A film review by Ken Johnson
Copyright 1993 Ken Johnson
104 min., R, Drama/Mystery, 1993 Director: Uli Edel Cast: Willem Dafoe, Madonna, Joe Mantegna, Anne Archer, Julianne Moore, Jurgen Prochnow, Frank Langella, (and Ernie Hudson uncredited?)
Madonna's older lover dies of a heart attack while tied up. The D.A., Joe Mantegna, has Madonna arrested and brings her to court claiming that Madonna, knowing of her lover's heart problem, secretly gave her lover cocaine and then she made it with him until he died. Madonna gets Willem Dafoe to represent her. As the trial goes on, Willem Dafoe gets drawn into Madonna's S&M games.
BODY OF EVIDENCE is 1993's BASIC INSTINCT. I had read in a newspaper, about a month before this film was released, that said BODY OF EVIDENCE had received an NC-17 rating. The version that is in the theaters, I assume, is cut. After seeing it, I am surprised that it was able to get an R rating. On a scale of zero to five, I give BODY OF EVIDENCE a five. BODY OF EVIDENCE is rated R for female nudity, strong sexual content, explicit language, adult situations, and violence. A word of warning, this film is not for children.
I enjoyed this film very much. The only major complaint that I have about the film is that it is too short. Two of the reasons that I went out immediately to see this film is that I like the director Uli Edel (LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN) and I have enjoyed Willem Dafoe (WILD AT HEART, WHITE SANDS) in past films. I am pleased to say that Willem Dafoe gives an excellent performance and that Uli Edel has crafted another great film.
Madonna (A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN) is definitely the most overexposed (in more ways than one) person of 1992, and it seems that she plans to stay there in 1993. Riding off the publicity from her recent album "Erotica" and her book SEX, she is now about to stir up more waters with this film. Madonna is definitely not the best part of this film. Willem Dafoe and Joe Mantegna's performances are much better. However she doesn't hurt the film.
One of the best actresses in this film is the judge (I didn't notice who played her). She helped make this film, and I hope that she gets the credit that she deserves. Joe Mantegna (THE GODFATHER - PART 3, BUGSY) is also great. He alone is worth going to see this film for.
This film is very well written, and at some points reminds me of the show "Civil Wars." The ending to the film is not a typical Hollywood type ending, I was pleased to see. I won't say any more about it though, so I won't spoil the film.
People who got upset because of the sex scenes in BASIC INSTINCT should definitely stay away from this film and watch A FEW GOOD MEN instead, because I think they are worse in this film. This film is definitely worth a matinee price.
-------- Ken Johnson blj@mithrandir.cs.unh.edu
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