O Poder da Sedução

I loved this one because I couldn't get over the heights of carnality and the depths of sociopathic evil the characters were capable of achieving. Linda Fiorentino played perhaps the most despicably rotten, heartless, conniving, using bitch I've ever had the pleasure of watching. Pullman was great as the reaper of retribution intent on giving evil for evil. Peter Berg may have stolen the show with his total inability to say no to his own destruction. It was hard to believe the abyss of stupidity these 2 dopes had the capacity to plumb. Guess that's what happens when the little head takes over the thought processes for the big head, eh? The picture started out a little slow but developed into a real blowout with a jaw dropping finale. All the folks got exactly what they deserved. All of them.

This is the story of Bridget (Linda Fiorentino), a tall (5'7"), slender, throaty voiced brunette who cheats her husband (Bill Pullman) out of some drug money and runs for it. She heads to "cow country" where she hooks up with nice guy Mike (Peter Berg) and makes him her designated [BLEEP]. But when her husband comes knocking on her door intending to take back his money (and sends a series of guys after her) Bridget gets ready to kill him and set Mike up for the fall.

Had this been properly released in theaters, it could very well have put Fiorentino on the map, maybe even gotten her an Oscar for best actress in the role of the femme fatale. I wasn't exactly rooting for her, but she sure was compelling to watch and very sexy.

And speaking of sexy, the film features some very powerful sex scenes that put just about everything we've ever seen in the James Bond films to shame. Oh what a Bond girl Linda Fiorentino would have made, and after seeing her stripped naked here, you'll agree.

Director John Dahl presents modern Film-Noir. A strong minded woman(Linda Fiorentino)runs away with her husband's(Bill Pullman)profits from a drug deal leaving him to face his loan shark. She finds another town and another man(Peter Berg)to manipulate. Interesting cat and mouse plot with some spontaneous sex thrown in. The combustible kind! It is doubtful you would fall asleep after this one kicks into gear. The sultry Fiorentino knows the ways to be wicked. J.T. Walsh is also notable. Can you say sizzle?

Fiorentino has a field day as one of the most despicable women ever to be featured in a film. Her character is tough, self-centered, mean-spirited, and sexy femme fatale who absconds with her husband's drug money and tries to get her ninny of a boyfriend to kill him. The plot is quite contrived and the characters bear no resemblance to real people, with Fiorentino appearing to be a genius in a world of dim-witted men. The acting is pretty good. Berg is likable as Fiorentino's boyfriend, a decent fellow who has to balance his hormones with his morality. Pullman seems to be having fun playing the betrayed spouse. The score sets the right mood.

Clay Gregory borrows some money to buy drugs and sell them on at profit. However his wife steals the profit and flees – leaving him with the loan shark to pay off. Bridget ends up in a small town where she hooks up with Mike Swale (her designated f***). She uses him to hide from Clay private detectives but it's only a matter of time before she's found and she begins to plan a way to use Mike's love to get out of trouble.

It's rare that a film has a strong female lead and is successful – female roles are hard to come by. Here this film is based around the ultimate femme fatale (or b***h as she's called here) and the story is clever and sexy. Bridget appears to be cold and manipulative – and every frame of the film confirms that. The story is clever and twisty – very enjoyable, right up to the end where you can't help but feel sorry for anyone that tries to stop her getting her way.

Fiorento is excellent and has yet to get as good a role since. She is sexy and manipulative and totally believable. Berg is good as the backwater boy who gets taken for a ride. Bill Pullman is good in a smaller role (he only once is seen outside of his apartment). While Bill Nunn and J.T. Walsh (when will I stop feeling his loss?) add class in roles that almost count as cameos they are so small.

Dark, wicked, sexy and intelligently twisty. Modern noir at it's best….but did we really need a sequel?