Jade

Rating:
Summary: Hamburger served on a silver plate
Review: The technical elements and the production values in 'Jade' are first-rate - fine photography, a creepy James Horner score and lavish, elegant sets. If you are studying production design or film music, this is a good movie to see.

The problem is that the script is trash. It's not much more than a 'Basic Instinct' clone with elements, such as ones set in Chinatown, that lead nowhere at all. They just fill the skimpy story out to a feature length running time. Of course, if you are studying script writing, you get some ideas of what not to do.

The marvelous cast is wasted because this is one of those movies where the characters do what they do only because the script says they must. AS a result, Caruso, Fiorentino and Palmenteri can do nothing more than give a little color to their cardboard characters.

Rating:
Summary: A promising plot that vanishes as water in your fingers!
Review: The use of Le Sacre du prientemps of Igor Stravinsky was a magnificent device to describe the brutal murderer in the first shot of this sordid thriller where Palmitieri as the chess mind and Fiorentino as the sexiest femme fatale after Sharon Stone (Basic instints ) and Madeleine Stowe (China Moon) makes of this film a watchable work . The car chase in San Francisco is a sincere tribute to Bullit but the raising promising script falls down and lacks of real punch at the end .
But luckily the craft of Friedkin saves this film of a worst destiny . Still we expect much more of that veteran director . He is very close related with that scope typical of that master film maker who was John Frankenheimer .
And that is the sin of that movie ; its lack of perspective . It remains just in the anechdotical episode .



Rating:
Summary: A good thriller, I must say a highlight for even Caruso.
Review: This film first intrigued me because I'm always interested in thrillers like "Rising Sun" or "Sliver", mostly because I really love those solemn-turn-to-explosive kind of films. I always seem to find a good amount of adreneline in these movies, even where most people only see uneventful and boring elements. In fact those scenes, which can be seen with amazing clarity in "Jade", have a subtle emotional intensity that brings out a sense of sophistication, and fulfills a lot of reality within these situations. It's wonderful how strong this film was in all departments: plot, performance, action, emotion, atmosphere, and ability to make a strong mark in the thriller genre. You will also enjoy Caruso's performance, as he does that kind of character well, but you won't be able to forget Linda Fiorentino's and Palminteri's great performances. It has it's share of good ol' American film noir intrigue: infidelity, paranoia, political corruption, and a few car chases, but all of those things are accomplished extremely well in this film, setting a standard for those elements, I'm sure. And if you could make a big deal about "Ronin"'s car chases, then this cool caper will give you a coronary.

Rating:
Summary: A good thriller, I must say a highlight for even Caruso.
Review: This film first intrigued me because I'm always interested in thrillers like "Rising Sun" or "Sliver", mostly because I really love those solemn-turn-to-explosive kind of films. I always seem to find a good amount of adreneline in these movies, even where most people only see uneventful and boring elements. In fact those scenes, which can be seen with amazing clarity in "Jade", have a subtle emotional intensity that brings out a sense of sophistication, and fulfills a lot of reality within these situations. It's wonderful how strong this film was in all departments: plot, performance, action, emotion, atmosphere, and ability to make a strong mark in the thriller genre. You will also enjoy Caruso's performance, as he does that kind of character well, but you won't be able to forget Linda Fiorentino's and Palminteri's great performances. It has it's share of good ol' American film noir intrigue: infidelity, paranoia, political corruption, and a few car chases, but all of those things are accomplished extremely well in this film, setting a standard for those elements, I'm sure. And if you could make a big deal about "Ronin"'s car chases, then this cool caper will give you a coronary.

Rating:
Summary: Hum-Drum, Ridiculous Psuedo-Erotica
Review: This film is supposedly an erotic thriller but it turns out to be only a mess. Linda Fiorentino lacks the presence and sex appeal of Sharon Stone or even Nicole Kidman. Chaz Palmentari is cadaver-like and David "Who Needs NYPD Blue" Caruso in no leading man. And the cast is just the beginning of the problems. The plot and script are silly though Director William Freidkan tries in vain to raise the suspense. There are some unintentional momemts of humor: the blackmail photos of Richard Crenna have obviously been doctored to give him a seemingly buffed body and the "erotic" scene with Fiorentino, a stranger, and some panty hose is so poorly staged it's a riot.

Rating:
Summary: JADE
Review: This film will have you on the edge of your street as it leads you threw a bumpy car chse scene (which took three weeks to film) strong sex scenes brutual murder victums, and beautiful characters. JADE is a film not to miss, don't even blink. The song THE MYSTIC'S DREAM by LOREENA MCKENNIT is played threw-out the film giving it a touch of dark mood. See SLIVER first, but I still recommend JADE.

Rating:
Summary: Not A Genuine Jade
Review: This is quite possibly one of the worst suspense movies I've ever seen. I pity Linda Fiorentino for volunteering as the lead actress in this patchy thriller. She definitely had the sex appeal but the material was unworthy of her. However, it can be expected that David Caruso would appear in such a critical catastrophe. After the bum results of the box-office gross for "Kiss Of Death" aside Nicholas Cage, it was a fatal omen that the red-headed 40-something would retreat into the shadows, never to be seen in film or television for a crudely extended period of time. As for Chazz Palminteri, I am horrifically surprised to see a great dramatic actor appear in such smut. After the likes of "A Bronx Tale", I would think Chazz would have more respect for himself. Maybe he wasn't getting enough work and overestimated the potential success of this movie. Everyone else certainly did.

The shaky premise is this: the movie begins with the murder of a wealthy San Franciscan who haggles with historians over priceless artifacts. He is killed in his own home with an Egyptian axe, one of the many pieces he collects. His assassin dawns a creepy tribal fertility mask while hacking him to pieces, and discards it among the bloody panorama, the only clue left for the police who arrive hours later at the scene. We are then introduced to detective David Corelli (Caruso), an experienced policeman in homicide and a dogged pursuer of justice. Cut to a luxurious black and white ball with the seemingly loving couple Matt and Trina Gavin (Palminteri and Fiorentino) waltzing the evening away. Detective Corelli then crashes their joyous soiree by delivering bad news to the Gavins: one of Trina's more recent acquaintances has been murdered. From this point, Trina's sordid extracurricular activities are brought to light and she becomes a prime suspect in Corelli's investigation.

It is not an unforeseen incident to witness another script penned by the sleazy Joe Esterhaz (Basic Instinct, Showgirls) become delightful fodder for the most unforgiving critics in the field. Who I am most disappointed with is director William Friedkin. After critical and financial successes like "The Exorcist", "The French Connection" and "12 Angry Men", one would certainly think that he would never make a faux pas of this proportion. Think again, my friends. Where tactics like impeccably choreographed car chases worked for him in previous films, they fail miserably to pick up the laborious and confusing pace of "Jade" and its listless characters. He even gave the inept crimson-haired Pantene model Angie Everhart a job playing a fledgling prostitute.

What I did enjoy was the original score, paired with the beautiful Moroccan-influenced "Mystic's Dream" by Celtic chanteuse Loreena McKennitt. I liked the flavor it lent to the Asian theme (which was poorly done, by the way) and it gave sufficient steam to the shoddy sex scenes. I was ill-advised when this was recommended to me, and I have a better suggestion to others if they want a good sex/murder thriller: "Basic Instinct". It's the one and only good Esterhaz movie I've seen and the team of Douglas and Stone never falter in delivering the intrigue and eroticism.

Rating:
Summary: The next time we make love.....
Review: Those final words of the movie will just send shivers up and down your spine. This movie is awesome, right from the start. Non-stop action and steamy sex scenes make this movie a must for a fan of detective movies or sexual thrillers. Just pop a bowl of popcorn, cuddle up with your honey, and get absorbed into this one of a kind, fascinating movie.

Rating:
Summary: The next time we make love.....
Review: Those final words of the movie will just send shivers up and down your spine. This movie is awesome, right from the start. Non-stop action and steamy sex scenes make this movie a must for a fan of detective movies or sexual thrillers. Just pop a bowl of popcorn, cuddle up with your honey, and get absorbed into this one of a kind, fascinating movie.

Rating:
Summary: THE WORST EVER
Review: WHAT THE HELL WAS THIS FILM ABOUT. I COULDNT TELL IF LINDA FIORINTINO'S CHARACTER HAD SPLIT PERSONALITIES,OR THAT SHE WAS JUST A PROSTITUTE. THIS FILM NEED'S HELP IN DIALOUGE, AND PLOT BECAUSE THE WHOLE FILM WENT DOWN HILL.