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Last Seduction

Last Seduction

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Simply one of the best films ever
Review: I can't say enough about this film.
It is my favorite. It such a favorite film that when I came to new Yok and didn't have a "drink" when going to bars, I ordered a Manhattan like Bridgitte and to this day I still drink it.
What make sthsi film so good to me is one, she's smart and two she doesn't pull back. It would've been easy to have her chicken out and go good girl at the end. But Bridgitte has her eyes on teh prize from beginning to end. Whether you consider her the Devil or a tarnished angel she doesn't stop.
Also she thinks.
Its so wonderful to see someone sit down and have to figure out a problem, to have to plot a manipulation, to leap at opportunities that may mean nothing and MAKE them mean something.
I like the fact that she plays every card in teh deck: sex, homophobia, lust, race, anything it takes to in a sense stay alive.
Now this may seem liek a throughly evil person but there points in this film where Bridgitte does "crack" or try to really be herself. There's teh one where Mike asks who she is, what she's doing and she tries to explain to him abotu her husband and the money while playing pool. He doesn't take her seriously. For two reasons, he doesn't think she's that smart or capable and he can't fathom himself doin git either. One thing I'v elearned is that the smarter you see yourself. The more capable you feel about yourself the easier it is to understand others even if their goals and methods are opposed to your own. It takes smarts to see smarts.
There's also the point where Bridgitte has been forced to fake the accident with the private investigator. Before she leaves and is caught, she tries to have Mike comfort her, to really listen to her. But two things have happned. She's playe dtehgame so well that her sincerity comes across as false and two, he doesn't want someone without secrets. Who doesn't have the upper hand. Some people are drawn to being destroyed by others because it validates their existence. If someone would take the time to destroy you it means that you exist, that you have meaning. But Bridgitte does crack here, she's ready to fess up and be with Mike as an equal and he blows her off to play hockey. Her voice even cracks and in some ways we can see how Bridgitte is the way she is because no one is a race horse like she is. That she is tougher because the disappointment of others has made her tough to begin with. That honest emotion I can relate to and it's why I like Bridgitte. If she was just uncaringly evil, she'd be no fun but you understand why Bridgitte is the way she is if you look at when she lets her defenses down.
Above ll else she is teh concummate chess player, understanding that the game is never to the pieces your playing with but to destroying the other side. Being cut off from runnign because of her husband's debts and her desire NOT to run has boxed her in into not so much fighting in the way that men or women perceive fighting btu teh way thinkers do. A thinker knows that everythign and everybody is a weapon or a defense in a fight. That each word is a calculation, that each action should mean or be about something and seeing that ability on screen is what makes thsi film on my top 3 favorite films of my entire life. And I've seen tooooooooooooo many movies to say that lightly. Another film on that short list is Fresh.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Linda looks better in green.
Review: I've been waiting a long time to see this movie, and I just finished watching it five minutes ago. Frankly, it's not what I'd had it built up to be, which was a bit disappointing. However, examining the movie as is, it's good. But if you're looking to see a thriller with Linda Fiorentino all sexy and suspect of murders, JADE blows this movie out of the water. I was ready for a story about a murderous BLACK WIDOW femme fatale and she definitely wasn't it. Don't get me wrong, she's great. The plot just wasn't what I thought. At times it was more funny and slapstick than dark and intriguing.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wicked Film Noir
Review: If you are looking for a movie that has black humor, intrigue, and in your face dialogue, look no further because The Last Seduction delivers. Linda Fiorentino has all the fun as the supreme ice queen Bridget.

In this clever story, Bridget has decided that her husband (Bill Pullman) is not as important as the money he received from a drug deal. She skips town with the cash only to hook up with the naïve Mike (Peter Berg) who will do anything for her, even murder. What transpires is too good to be true as sex and betrayal take center stage. The actors are outstanding and perfect for their roles. Fiorentino is a fireball who gives a ferocious performance worthy of an Oscar. Lacking any moral values, she lets it be known that messing with her will lead to trouble. Director John Dahl keeps the pace moving and throws in great twists right to the finish. This is a very underrated film noir and one that should not be missed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A smart thriller in the tradition of "Double Indemnity"
Review: If you are looking for a smart thriller, where you go along for the ride because you are never going to be able to catch up with what is going on, then "The Last Seduction" is a prime choice for your late night enjoyment. Directed by John Dahl and written by Steve Baranci, this 1994 film begins with Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino) lording it over an office of telemarketers trying to sell collectible coins. Meanwhile, her husband Clay (Bill Pullman) has pulled his first drug deal and netted $700,000. However, as they talk about celebrating he makes the mistake of slapping her and by the time he gets out of the shower she has disappeared with the money. Of course, by the end of the movie when he are thinking that Clay made a mistake marrying Bridget in the first place. Bridget calls up her lawyer (J.T. Walsh) to find out what her options are preserving stolen money as a marital asset when she gets a divorce while Clay hires a private eye (Bill Nunn) to find her and get his money back because he has a loan shark who is not happy with him.

The obvious historical antecedent for "The Last Seduction" is "Double Indemnity," and when Bridget takes the name Wendy Kroy (look at it backwards) and starts working for an insurance company it is hard not to notice the similarities (that and she calls herself Mrs. Neff at one point). However, before that happens she hooks up with Mike Swale (Peter Berg) at a bar and is less than thrilled to see that he works there two. They continue to meet at the bar for sex and he keeps trying to get closer, but she is still on the run and needs to come up with a way of saving her life and the keeping the money (not necessarily in that order).

"The Last Seduction" begins trying to lull you into thinking this is a romantic comedy (my wife kept saying "You said this was a thriller, this is not the music of a thriller"), but then things take a more serious turn. Once that happens the twists and turns just keep coming as Linda Fiorentino makes Barbara Stanwyck's Phyllis Dietrichson look like a prim and proper little schoolgirl. Unfortunately, "The Last Seduction" was shown on television before its theatrical release, which put the kibosh on any hopes of Fiorentino getting an Oscar nomination. Yes, the character is that memorable, as good at being bad as anyone you can recall and she never, ever lets the mask slip away as this mistress of improvisation takes care of everyone and everything in her own sweet way.

There are no extras of any kind on this DVD, which actually is a good thing. That is because this is the sort of film that should really stand on its own without a look behind the curtain and it makes perfect sense that there are not any deleted scenes. Even a trailer might give away too much of the game. This might not be a great film, but it is very, very good and worth a late night viewing.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A smart thriller in the tradition of "Double Indemnity"
Review: If you are looking for a smart thriller, where you go along for the ride because you are never going to be able to catch up with what is going on, then "The Last Seduction" is a prime choice for your late night enjoyment. Directed by John Dahl and written by Steve Baranci, this 1994 film begins with Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino) lording it over an office of telemarketers trying to sell collectible coins. Meanwhile, her husband Clay (Bill Pullman) has pulled his first drug deal and netted $700,000. However, as they talk about celebrating he makes the mistake of slapping her and by the time he gets out of the shower she has disappeared with the money. Of course, by the end of the movie when he are thinking that Clay made a mistake marrying Bridget in the first place. Bridget calls up her lawyer (J.T. Walsh) to find out what her options are preserving stolen money as a marital asset when she gets a divorce while Clay hires a private eye (Bill Nunn) to find her and get his money back because he has a loan shark who is not happy with him.

The obvious historical antecedent for "The Last Seduction" is "Double Indemnity," and when Bridget takes the name Wendy Kroy (look at it backwards) and starts working for an insurance company it is hard not to notice the similarities (that and she calls herself Mrs. Neff at one point). However, before that happens she hooks up with Mike Swale (Peter Berg) at a bar and is less than thrilled to see that he works there two. They continue to meet at the bar for sex and he keeps trying to get closer, but she is still on the run and needs to come up with a way of saving her life and the keeping the money (not necessarily in that order).

"The Last Seduction" begins trying to lull you into thinking this is a romantic comedy (my wife kept saying "You said this was a thriller, this is not the music of a thriller"), but then things take a more serious turn. Once that happens the twists and turns just keep coming as Linda Fiorentino makes Barbara Stanwyck's Phyllis Dietrichson look like a prim and proper little schoolgirl. Unfortunately, "The Last Seduction" was shown on television before its theatrical release, which put the kibosh on any hopes of Fiorentino getting an Oscar nomination. Yes, the character is that memorable, as good at being bad as anyone you can recall and she never, ever lets the mask slip away as this mistress of improvisation takes care of everyone and everything in her own sweet way.

There are no extras of any kind on this DVD, which actually is a good thing. That is because this is the sort of film that should really stand on its own without a look behind the curtain and it makes perfect sense that there are not any deleted scenes. Even a trailer might give away too much of the game. This might not be a great film, but it is very, very good and worth a late night viewing.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Release the DVD
Review: It's a tradegy of epic proportions that one of the best movies of the 1990's is unavailable on DVD. It's a classic mix of eroticism and suspense that the viewing public should be able to enjoy again. Fiorentino at her seductive best.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Classic movie, not so classy presentation
Review: John Dahl's "The Last Seduction" captures the flavor of film noir perfectly. Bridgett (Linda Fiorentino)seems to have it all; she's beautiful, bright but married to a dead end job and a dead beat wannabe doctor Clay (Bill Pullman). Clay's pulled the ultimate drug deal; he's illegally purchased medications with cocaine in them and sold them to drug dealers on the street. To do this he borrowed $100,000 from a loan shark. With the profits, he plans on living in high style with his wife. Bridget has other plans. After a fight, she steals the money with the intention of keeping it all for herself. She disappears in a small town hoping to hold on to the money until her attorney (J. T. Walsh)can complete her divorce. Changing her name, she takes a job at an insurance company. She meets Mike Swale (Peter Berg)in a local bar. He's infatuated with her from the moment he meets her. "Wendy" as she's now called has plans for him and her ex that will allow her to keep all the money for herself.

A direct descendant of "Double Indemnity" (Bridget gives her name as "Mrs. Neff" at one point a tip of the hat to the classic movie and book)and other noir thrillers, "The Last Seduction" got dumped on cable but when the distributor realized it had such a great movie they released it to theaters. Widely lauded for her role, Linda Fiorentino could have scored an Oscar nomination--if not for the fact that HBO showed this before it was released to theaters. Bill Pullman turns in a twisted performance as Clay playing with the audience expectations created by his appearence in other movies as the good guy. He gives a great performance. There's hardly a weak performance in the film and Dahl's direction is so sure handed you'd imagine this was his tenth or twentieth film not one of his first. The late great J.T. Walsh brings the oily lawyer Frank Griffith to life in a great supporting turn.

That was the good news. The bad is that this great movie has been given a basic DVD presentation and, what's worse, it doesn't look all that great. There's a number of compression artifacts. While this states that it's in the original format, it looks to me like the image was blown up from a widescreen presentation as the image looks lousy. There's no extras at all. That's too bad as this film (like "Red Rock West") deserves a commentary track from Dahl as its one of his most accomplished films. At the very least, we should have gotten a documentary on the film and why it got dumped on cable and how the film was discovered by filmgoers.

5 Stars for the movie, 2 stars for the lousy presentation by Artisan (and the lousy transfer). It's unfortunate that Lion's Gate (which distributes this) chose not to provide the package and picture quality this film deserved.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Jaws in a miniskirt
Review: Just when you felt safe going back into the water along comes Bridget. Bridget, played by Linda Fiorentino, is a shark who, as the movie progresses, takes a bite out of every man who comes between her and her goal. Her goal is to live in New York with enough money to enjoy the most wonderful city in the world. to this end she talks her doctor husband into borrowing money from a loan shark to finance a drug deal and when he brings the money home, she skips out with it leaving him alone and penniless to face said loan shark. Her escape leads to a small town in middle America where she holds up, while trying to talk her hubby into a divorce. Meanwhile she convinces a local that she has fallen for him and the plot thickens with strike and counterstrike as husband and wife try to get or keep the money by any means necessary. The shark bit, however, is only an analogy. Her teeth are a sharp intellect and a shameless facility of doing whatever, no matter how sordid, to get her way.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Linda Fiorentino is the ultimate b***h goddess!
Review: Linda Fiorentino gives the performance of her career in "The Last Seduction" playing Bridget Gregory, who is the most ruthless, callous, mean, greedy and fascinating woman possibly ever seen on screen. In the beginning of the film, Bridget gets her doctor husband (Bill Pullman) to make a pharmaceautical drug deal for almost a million dollars, after which she takes off with the cash leaving her husband pennilness. Then she temporarily locates to a small town, where she begins to manipulate a pathetic smalltown buffoon (Peter Berg, who she also treats as a human vibrator) into killing her husband. Linda Fiorentino is just such a blast playing Bridget that instead of hating her, you root for her. As rotten to the core as she is, you cheer as she constantly manipulates and destroys the hapless men around her, and emerges victorious. This movie is great to watch whenever you're in a bad mood ... it always cheers me up.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: WOW What a Woman !!!
Review: Linda Fiorentino gives the performance of her life with this scorcher! An intelligent independent film on people double crossing each other. The film as a whole is well written and acted, although Femme Fatale Fiorentino steals the show and profit$. I think even Bogey wouldn't have been a match for this dame, he is lucky he was in another time, in another place! This woman takes all the bulls by their horns and has them at her mercy. Thelma and Louise are girlscouts compared to this L-A-D-Y !!!


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