Extremities

I remember catching this movie on TV a few times and it always was an extreme experience for me. Here, a vulnerable woman named Marjorie (Farah Fawcett) who falls victim to an attempted rape by Joe (James Russo) escapes and turns the tables on him, caging the criminal in her fireplace.

Seeing Joe abuse Marjorie left and right was difficult to watch, but it was thrilling to see Marjorie give her attacker a taste of his own medicine. It is also pretty suspenseful to see what will her and her two roommates, Patricia (Alfre Woodard) and Terry (Diana Scarwid), do to the confined attacker after the incident. A majority of the film takes place in the house and you get to know a little bit of background on all three women and how the course of the film's events affect them. The plot does drag after all the action but the generating suspense does keep the movie a somewhat intriguing experience.

Grade B-

I've never been a fan of Farrah Fawcett...Until now. She was truly amazing in this movie. The emotion she must have gone through shooting re-take after re-take doesn't bare thinking about. This was a very hard movie to watch, the subject matter is decidedly unpleasant and you feel so helpless just sitting and watching a woman being abused for what seems like an eternity. I actually felt that the whole thing deflated somewhat when her friends returned to the house and I didn't find the conclusion at all plausible. The director seemed very keen in using height in his shots and loved using mirror reflections, I believe he should have paid more attention to the pace in the second half of this piece. I'm sure this makes a heck of a powerful piece of theatre, this movie for me, although it had merit, just fell short.

In Los Angeles, the gorgeous Marjorie (Farrah Fawcett) stops her car after-hours in a parking area to buy an ice-cream. However the store has just closed and when she returns to her car, a masked stranger attacks and attempts to rape her using a knife. Marjorie succeeds to flee, but the man keeps her purse with her documents. She goes to the police to report the assault but the female officer tells her that there is no evidence and no case since it is her word against the rapist's word. A couple of days later, the rapist breaks in Marjorie's house while her roommates Patricia (Alfre Woodard) and Terry (Diana Scarwid) are not at home. The cynical Joe (James Russo) submits Marjories to sadistic abuses and humiliations preparing to rape her. Out of the blue, Marjorie sprays insecticide in Joe's eyes, reverting the situation dominating Joe and then she ties him up. She decides to bury Joe alive in a grave in her garden since she does not have evidence to keep him in prison and he had promised to return to kill her. But Terry and Patty arrive and try to convince Marjorie to call the police and think about the consequence of her intention. What will she do?

"Extremities" is a film with a dramatic story and a great dilemma. Farrah Fawcett has one of her best performances in the role of a woman abused by a stranger that she finally subdues. His first intention is to kill the man but there is a debate with her roommates and the film has a moralist conclusion. James Russo is impressive in the role of a sadistic rapist. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Seduzida ao Extremo" ("Seduced to the Extreme")

Kudos to Fawcett to taking on roles that, at the time were considered controversial. To my recollection, rape was still a taboo subject in the 1980's, and women's rights and emotions were rarely so deeply examined during that time.

Fawcett is simply a woman who is followed, then stalked by actor James Russo. He is adequate as the obsessed psychopath, but at times a bit transparent.

Diana Scarwid has a bit role, as does Alfre Woodard as the house mate. Woodard worries about the legal consequences when Fawcett, the rape victim, takes revenge on the culprit. The scene where she throws a frying pan of hot oil at Russo is classic, and as the rapist he deserves it. She then keeps him in bondage, and the consequences must be faced.

A very real story reflecting the emotions and rage of rape victims who have been violated, physically, and mentally. Highly recommended. 8/10.

Here's a film, I'll always remember seeing that late Farrah for who died a day apart from Michael Jackson. Ironically they were good friends, and one thing that Farrah could do instead of Michael, and that was act. She scorches up the screen here, a raging queen of revenge on her attacker, who has come to attack her, for the second time, invading her home. She scarcely escapes the first attack, a car jacking, where they end up in a discreet parking spot. She manages to get away, leaving her car and wallet behind. With not much help from authorities (der, we've seen it so many times before in rape films) it now becomes a game of waiting, with Farrah, quite on edge, and rightfully so. She does share house with two other women. Diana Scarwid, very good as a wild impulsive sort, and Alfre Woodard, as a more wiser black woman, the only one partially sympathetic to the rapist after the tables are turned, and turned they are. Farrah becomes caught in conflict with her mates who return to find Joe, the battered faced rapist chained up in the fireplace. She wants to kill Joe, on the too probable count, that if tried, and he gets off, he will come at her again. This is a real life situation scenario here, Woodard of course, dead set against the idea. For rape victims, this movie is not for you. It's an intense grueling flick about the rape process, where the consequences for a criminal's acts here are extreme (hence the title) for low class sort, Joe (a wonderful Russo) But it's Farrah who engrosses us, where Extremities is an engrossing and with a wonderfully claustrophobic atmosphere, where indeed it's well shot, where most of the movie is set in Farrah's pad. For some viewers it'll be tough to watch. Too, what's shocking is Russo's admittance, and his intentions, when untied and falling to the floor, where then Scarwid surprisingly becomes sympathetic. Although I really didn't like it's ending Extremities is powerful movie making and far from escapist fare for viewers, wanting to leave reality behind. I would also like to see the play one day, but for now, I'll stick to the movie.