Ajouter une intrigue dans votre langueAn American wife (Maryam d'Abo) of a maharajah inherits five-million dollars after he is stepped on by an elephant during a leopard hunt, but the American insurance company suspects fraud an... Tout lireAn American wife (Maryam d'Abo) of a maharajah inherits five-million dollars after he is stepped on by an elephant during a leopard hunt, but the American insurance company suspects fraud and hires an insurance investigator (Rick Rossovich) to go to India to investigate the quest... Tout lireAn American wife (Maryam d'Abo) of a maharajah inherits five-million dollars after he is stepped on by an elephant during a leopard hunt, but the American insurance company suspects fraud and hires an insurance investigator (Rick Rossovich) to go to India to investigate the questionable death of her husband. In India the wife and investigator start an affair that lead... Tout lire
- Réalisation
- Scénario
- Casting principal
Avis à la une
The story goes to India and revolves around a murder mystery surrounding the Raja's death and her widowed british wife. The insurance investigator, as usual, gets more than what he bargained for and gets entangled in the web of sex and deceit.
Lee Anne Beaman's scenes of importance are poor and almost irritating at times. The english woman and investigator's sex scenes are even worse, (one of the tired scenes portrays the couple making love on the edge of a waterfall among the rocks! what the hell?)
The only saving grace of the movie is the dark and raw beauty of Asha Siewkumar, who of course is not noted for her acting abilities. She isn't extraordinarily pretty, but very very sexy.
Tropical Heat was filmed in India, and it's probably a great showcase for this country. The acting is O.K., although it seems that some of the actors had their voices dubbed. Yes, this is a MFV erotic thriller, and the scenes here with D'Abo and Rossovich are hot stuff. Asha Siewkumar, playing the Maharajah's relative, is a knockout, she's the Kira Reed of India. LeeAnn Beaman is cute, but her "scene" with Rossovich is tepid, and she hasn't got a great body nor great acting skills for this genre. I'd see it again if it comes up, it's pretty clever.
I'll say this much - the filming locations are a genuine treat. All the sights and sounds we get of India, whether the countryside, gorgeous specific architecture, or urban landscapes, are rich and flavorful; my compliments to Mundhra, cinematographer V. Shaukat, and location manager P. S. Raja. Similarly, I love the work of makeup artist and hair stylist A. Purushothamaraja and costume designer Nagaraj, and the production design and art direction. Despite the kitschy slant of the feature, there was real care put into it in at least some regards. Only some, mind you; the sound design is a little lacking, and by whatever combination of factors, the takes that were chosen for the final cut include unmistakable deficiencies on the part of the cast, including lines of dialogue that just trail off into indistinct, indecipherable sounds. Even for viewers who are accustomed to low-grade fare of one sort or another, there's a confounding directness to the editing and direction that rather confirms 'Tropical heat' to be little more than a paycheck for anyone involved. Even in those moments when the actors are doing their best to imbue the picture with some sincerity, they are restrained in that capacity by the gauche tone or the faulty construction.
Among the players who do seem to try every now and again, I do not include Rick Rossovich, starring as insurance investigator Gravis. On the other hand, where she's not pointedly restricted by one element or another, I detect real effort from Ashaa Siewkumar; while she brings class and poise in the best of times, in the moments of utmost tawdriness, I swear I can read desperation and pain in d'Abo's face, as if she both regretted but needed this role even as filming was taking place. And the supporting cast, too, even with less time on-screen, seem to be putting their best foot forward (sometimes). Still, in fairness, there's only so much that anyone could have done with this material, for the screenplay is less than perfect. Sure enough, there's a real thriller story underlying the cheesiest of skin flick nonsense, but when all is said and done, there's not much plot in these 90 minutes. Some dialogue is decidedly blunt and overt; the writing and execution of some scenes all too neat and orderly. That's not to say that what substance 'Tropical heat' has to offer is bad, but it's unquestionably less than perfect.
Then again, maybe I'm nitpicking. There's no getting around what this was intended to be - and anyway, if we take it at face value, the broad strokes of the narrative are solid, and adaptable to other locales and characters. This film was never meant for grandeur and elevation in the world of cinema, only passing enjoyment, and it succeeds in that goal. Moreover, there really was a lot of hard work put into the production in many ways, so if the B-grade flourishes conflict with the more honest facets that they adjoin or embellish, well, so it goes. So long as you're not expecting the best of the best, then I think that whatever it is you want out of this feature, you'll get enough to satisfy in at least some measure. 'Tropical heat' has its fair share of problems, but even at its worst I can't say it's not amusing. There's no need to go out of your way for it, and it's probably best reserved for the direly bored or extremely curious, but especially as far as erotic thrillers go, there are worse ways to spend your time.
Eye Candy: Asha Siewkumar show T&A; Maryam d'Abo bares her breasts; and Lee Anne Beaman shows all
My Grade: D-
Le saviez-vous
- AnecdotesAnu Aggarwal was offered the film but declined.
- Versions alternativesAvailable on video in the USA in both R-rated and unrated versions.
- ConnexionsReferenced in Diminishing Returns: The Living Daylights (2020)
Meilleurs choix
- How long is Tropical Heat?Alimenté par Alexa
Détails
- Durée1 heure 26 minutes
- Couleur