O Mistério da Viúva Negra

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")

This is a terrific movie that reminds one what we lost when Debra Winger slowed down her movie-making. She gives an honest, heartfelt performance as an investigator chasing a woman who marries rich and whose husbands wind up dead every time. The widow then remakes her appearance, gets a new identity, and dupes another man. Only Winger is convinced that this trail of murders is the work of one woman.

Eventually she catches up with this black widow (Theresa Russell) and the two hang out together in Hawaii. The Russell character likes the danger - she knows Winger is after her, and after trying to kill her during a scuba dive, saves her at the last minute.

My favorite scene with Winger is the one in which she almost tells Nicol Williamson the truth about his bride. She stands and stares at him - she knows he's going to die, she knows he won't believe her - you can see every thought in her head until, regretfully, she leaves.

Theresa Russell has the right detachment for this role. One suspects the character is a real man-hater and is, in fact, attracted to Winger. Winger is admiring of Russell's constant flirtation with danger. This is a complex relationship that the two play out. The finale is not up to the standard of the rest of the film, but I still highly recommend it.

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.

Debra Winger is great as always as the FBI backroom researcher allowed out for a change to pursue her theory that the widows of several millionaires who have all died of the same rare disease are in fact the same woman.

She finds herself fascinated as well as repelled by Theresa Russell's glamour, lifestyle and ability to use men for her own ends. Russell in her turn sees her as a worthy opponent (unlike all those men she takes in so easily).

In fact all the men are just part of the background to the play between Winger and Russell.

Its a terrific film all round and I may be alone in this, but I think the ending works.

It is good and an enjoyable watch with fine cinematography but there are problems. We would have liked to see more of Dennis Hopper and a little less of Sami Frey. The former seems in fine and vibrant form but the latter diffident and uncomfortable which makes it difficult during later key scenes. Biggest problem of all though is that we become so bewitched, so mesmerised by the beauty, tenacity and manipulative skills of Theresa Russell she rather overshadows the good work of Debra Winger and we find ourselves on the wrong side. This may have been intentional but it is a difficult trick to pull off and when we have to further consider possible affection between the girls the very glue that has held the premise of hardworking and well meaning FBI investigator against the world, comes a little unstuck. Still a fine watch, however, and a super twist.