La veuve noire

Winger and Russell are sensational here, characteristically different yet essentially the same in nature. The sinister plot trappings and black widow symbolism keep the film lively but only serve to heighten the intriguing subtext of two women obsessed with success and competition. Winger is exceptional as always, and while Russell is notably uneven as usual, they both succeed admirably. All the supporting parts are brilliantly played. This is one of the finest and most enjoyable femme fatale films around. A widescreen version is thankfully now available on DVD from Fox.

When the ambitious federal investigator Alexandra 'Alex' Barnes (Debra Winger) reads the cases of two wealthy men that have just died and left their fortunes to their younger and younger wives, she suspects that the woman might be the same. She believes that the woman might be killing the millionaires without a trace to inherit their fortunes.

Alex travels and tracks down the mysterious female inheritor Catharine Petersen (Theresa Russell) but she finds nothing about her identity. Alex believes that the Catharine might have traveled to Hawai and she takes vacation to follow her instincts. Alex finds and befriends Catharine in the hotel and becomes close to her. When Alex meets Catherine's boyfriend Paul Nuytten (Sami Frey), she has a crush on him. Will her passion for Paul and her friendship with Catharine jeopardize her investigation?

"Black Widow" is an unforgettable neo-noir of the 80's, with the sexy and gorgeous Theresa Russell and Debra Winger playing a cat-and-mouse game in the lead roles. This film is one of my favorite from the 80's and slightly recalls "Body Heat" from the early 80's. In those years, Theresa Russell was one of the sexiest actress of the cinema industry and the role of Catharine Petersen is tailored for her. Unfortunately the Brazilian DVD has no Extras. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Mistério da Viúva Negra" ("The Mystery of the Black Widow")

Hilariously contrived and utterly compelling, Black Widow is always worth a re-viewing when the video shelves are dry. It's beautifully filmed, competently acted, and contains some of the most rousingly misguided plot twists known to this cinephile.

No spoilers here, but the ending is a knee-slapper, as is the otherwise quite capable Theresa Russell's foray into a southern belle accent. It's all very slick, but in a good way, with the considerable lily gilded by attempts at intellectualizing a movie which could be refilmed with startlingly few changes for a Cinemax Late Night soft-core extravaganza. Kudos to Russell, of course, Winger, James Hong and Mary Woronov just for being Mary Woronov for at least one scene; it's just a shame that a movie which makes a stab at well-rounded female characters (at the very least by making the male characters so weak [truth is, I can scarcely remember the names of any of the male characters] that one cannot help but invest all subjectivity with the female characters) operates under the notion that the Debra Winger character discovers her womanhood vicariously through the exploits of the sensuous, if surprisingly (in context) asexual, man-killer Russell, which is not exactly the most progressive notion. Essential viewing nonetheless.

I first saw this movie on cable, (HBO) and liked it instantly. The plot and characters were well written I thought and fine acting jobs by all. I was in high school when it came out and really liked the scuba scenes so I bought the movie on video. Since then I have watched it many times and have become a bigger fan. The biggest thing is how well I could identify with the characters. It draws you into watching just to see what's going to happen. I think if you like "Chinatown", you'll like this movie too. I think the ending works too, could be better but works well here. Best performance of Debra Winger except "An Officer and a Gentleman" And truly Thersa Russell's best performance I've ever seen her in. A good movie to watch when you're in the mood to stay home and watch a good well rounded, interesting movie. I still never tire of seeing it again.

This murder yarn details the career of a female killer who marries men for their money, dispatches them without leaving any clues, then lays claim to their wealthy estates and moves on in search of another goldmine. The murders come to the attention of Debra Winger, a Federal investigator, although the film doesn't explain why the government is interested in these cases. Theresa Russell, the title character, is the attractive, intelligent woman who wins the confidence of the men she targets and uses her irresistible charm to disarm her suitors. Winger soon cultivates a friendship with Russell to get closer to her and anticipate her next moves but knows that she and her quarry are on a collision course. The women play subtle cat-and-mouse games with each other until the surprise ending, which proves that a black widow can spin one web too many. Winger and Russell generated an undertow of erotic tension between them that the picture didn't explore but the movie remains a good mystery.