Das gnadenlose Auge

Right from the opening credits and the full-blown saxophone score accompanying them, you know what you're in for: a typical erotic thriller of the early 1990's - the most prolific period of the genre. It does stand a little above the crowd because of the ambiguous "villain" - is he indeed a villain or is he really just exposing and satisfying the hidden desires of these (admittedly gullible) women for mutual gain? And the fact that the film was directed by a woman and co-written by another adds an extra layer: are Lizzie Borden and Laurie Frank trying to tell us something about their own secret fantasies? Despite all that, "Love Crimes" never raises the temperature high enough, probably because of the two leads: Patrick Bergin is miscast as a smooth charmer (especially after just coming off "Sleeping With The Enemy" where he played Julia Roberts' abusive husband), and Sean Young is wooden - which actually fits her character at the start. The problem is that she stays wooden even later when she shouldn't be (she is also a little too skinny for my tastes in this one). ** out of 4.

Lizzie Borden, if that is her real name, attempts to direct a passionate, sexual thriller about seduction and love. Besides moments of nudity and sexual overtones, the movie falls flat on its face. Sean Young attracts an audience to see this mild excuse for a thriller. A low budget, none-the-less, Love Crimes is a story of passion, without the passion. While Sean Young is still learning how to act and the carry a film, Patrick Bergin, the evil husband from Sleeping with the Enemy, is five times a better actor than Young. However, it is Young who draws the audience to see her naked. Although she is not a super model or a top ten actress, Sean Young represents the average, everyday woman with the average figure. It is that audience, viewer make up, that is attracted to these movies. For that reason, Love Crimes has an audience but not much of a fan base.

I read somewhere that when director Lizzie handed in this film, the producers so objected to her ending that they sniped it before release. Granted, it concludes abruptly, but the reason we're left hanging is far deeper than that. Sean Young is so puckered, she barely squeaks any personality into the character. We are left with puzzling, blue-tinted flashbacks of a sexually traumatic event, that, possibly ends in a death, I'm not sure. There's a story here--especially in the photographer/seducer--it just wasn't filmed.

But bad writing and acting are only the tip of the iceberg, unfortunately. Titanic is overall cinematic style. I'm not sure if Lizzie was going for a gritty, quasi-documentary look, but the over-lighting and shoulder-high camera angle make the film look just amateurish. Even the dark scenes at the cabin incorporate the light source in the frame, effectively ruining any atmospheric interiors. Thematically, this is about assigning blame when things go sexually awry--a very interesting and exciting subject. Fortunately, the script doesn't accept the "fry 'em" attitude of date rape that is currently correct. Unfortunately, the visual argument is hopelessly bogged down in misdirection.

At best, it's a hung jury.

District attorney Sean Young goes undercover to catch a crazed maniac (Patrick Bergin) who sexually humiliates and terrorizes women, fooling them by posing as a photographer. Naturally Young was a victim of child abuse herself and thus she becomes sucked in by Bergin's sick actions. Strangely there might actually be an attraction between the two leads. Now how sick could that possibly be? Soft-core trite the whole way here as director Lizzie Borden (who had minimal success with sexually-motivated productions and premium television programming in the mid-1990s) would rather get her performers naked and in compromising positions than tell a cohesive tale. Bergin and Young, two people that have never had any business in front of a camera, are not good enough players to give "Love Crimes" any substantiated success. Turkey (0 stars out of 5).

I had to view this film again, just to make sure I was reviewing the same film. Unfortunately, this film was made in America's matriarchal society.

This is the story of a man that puts women in touch with their inner sexual feelings. It is repeated several times that he has committed no crime. In fact, in Europe, this man would be admired, in America the reverse it true. This is a film about stalking and entrapment, and if you head isn't on backwards, you will understand the same person does both.

The worst thing about the film are the psychological flashbacks. Much like Marnie, but not as bad. This sort of passing blame to parents is unforgivable.

Sean Young and Patrick Bergen are seasoned B film actors, don't expect a big production. But the film is adequate to pass the message if you "get it".

If you like the drift of this film, a more sophisticated version can be found in "Night Porter" with Dirk Bogarde and even the original French version of "The Story of O". These European films treat the subject matter in a far more logical manner.