THE LAST SEDUCTION
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1995 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ***
THE LAST SEDUCTION is an excellent black comedy and thriller about lying, betrayal, sex, and murder. It is directed by John Dahl and written by Steve Barancik. It stars Linda Fiorentino as literally the toughest woman in movie history. She is tougher than nails, never vulnerable, and would do absolutely anything to get what she wants.
The movie bears some resemblance to the tough and double dealing of Barbara Stanwyck in DOUBLE INDEMNITY (which I saw about a year ago on cable - check it out some time, it is excellent too). The script is sharp and witty. The staccato tone of the script reminds me of some of David Mamet's writing especially in his movie HOUSE OF GAMEs.
THE LAST SEDUCTION is about a woman (Fiorentino) who talks her husband (Bill Pullman) into dealing drugs and then skips town with all the money ($700,000) even though loan sharks are threatening to maim and then kill him. All of this happens in the first few minutes. The rest of the show takes place mainly into a middle American community in upstate New York where she finds a "boyfriend" (Peter Berg). He claims he is just her sex toy. One of the messages he leaves on her answering machine is "I love you and I am sure the feeling is mutual - you love you too".
There are lots of plot twists - some predictable, some not, and one quite surprising. There are many great scenes. The pick up scene in the bar has never been done that way before and really worked well.
In a typical Hollywood movie, we would eventually find Fiorentino's character's sweet side, but not here - she is a complete and perfectly evil character with no redeeming qualities. It is fascinating watching Fiorentino to see what she will do next. It was perfect casting having her play the lead. Like the devil, it was easy to be drawn to her. She is quite an attractive actress. The husband and the boyfriend also are well chosen and do a good job.
See if you like the ending. At first, I thought it too abrupt and then decided it was a good ending after all.
I have no criticism of the show. If you like black comedy like say HAROLD AND MAUDE or DOUBLE INDEMNITY, you will probably like this show. It is not a movie for everyone, but I certainly recommend it and award it ***. The movie is not rated, but would be R for sex, some profanity, a little nudity, non-gory and non-bloody violence, and an adult theme. I would not take teenagers to see it; it is an adult show. It runs a well edited 1:50.
**** = One of the top few films of this or any year. A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = One of the worst films of this or any year. Totally unbearable.
REVIEWED WRITTEN ON: November 18, 1994
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
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