Blood Orange

First off, let me say both my husband and I are big Iggy Pop fans. So when we first heard about this film months ago, we got excited for it to come out. I pre-ordered a copy on Amazon.

Fans or not, no one can say Iggy Pop didn't do a spectacular job as Bill. He was PERFECT for the part. So many times he made us chuckle. Bill was cool. Intelligent. Cunning. Sexy.

Ben Lamb, Kacey Clark, and Antonio Magro were all believable, too, playing their characters well. The heat from Kacey radiated from the screen, and the relationship between her and Bill was nuanced and enticing.Their appreciation of who each other was is something I particularly enjoyed, it made me really feel they "got" each other.

The movie drew us in right away, and the tension built slowly, seductively, drawing us in even further. Very noir atmosphere.

I will watch it more than a couple times. Thank you for making this film.

How on earth does this movie only have two reviews (so far) on IMDb?

The casting couldn't have been better and Iggy Pop is a stand out as an old rock star. Hmmm... I wonder how that could be!

Everyone except the dopey pool boy has a plan and they unfold at a leisurely pace until the final line is spoken.

It's difficult to talk about the movie without giving the game away but I was reminded of a similar movie in both style and substance... the superb 1987 noir (yes, noir), Black Widow... and the similar movies that it spawned.

This is an 'adult' thriller... there's not much in the way of actual violence. No shouting and no infernal young people in the way. Any thinking person and fan of legato measured dramas will enjoy this.

The songs are well chosen, the photography is exquisite and there's not a second wasted.

This film had little substance. The storyline was somewhat predictable, (though the ending was a surprise) - but plot holes still left this viewer with questions.

Dialogue between characters was mostly vague one-liners, volunteered without backstory or context. In particular, attempting to create a femme fatale out of Kacey Barnfield's character fell short as any insight into who Isabella was, her psyche, her history, was absent. Her character, which had promise, was left one-dimensional and under-developed by the writing. Because little explanation was given to the relationships between characters, their interactions felt facile.

Iggy Pop played the grizzled, ageing rock star role. However, the potential depth of his character was also limited by the dialogue.

Iggy Pop is inspired casting as Bill. His performance is beautifully nuanced and controlled. The relationship between Bill and his young wife Isabelle is entirely convincing. Kacey Barnfield is an alluring femme fatale - but just how calculating is she? The plot twists and turns, keeping the viewer guessing. Ben Lamb as spoiled brat Lucas is suitably shifty. Antonio Magro makes David, the clueless pool boy, a believable character. The Ibizan setting works well - Bill strides through the landscape like the protagonist of a sinister Spaghetti Western - and the villa is an ideal backdrop for the drama to play out. Toby Tobias is a skilled director and writer who isn't afraid to take risks and knows how to ramp up tension. It's become the fashion to make overlong, overblown films. At 85 minutes, Blood Orange avoids any self indulgence and keeps the viewer enthralled throughout.

While the premise may have similarities with "A Bigger Splash" and take its references from "La Piscine", this is a very different film indeed. It takes its time to unfold but then it shifts a gear, twists and twists again and then what was a sun soaked lazy art-house drama becomes a full on menacing thriller that keeps you guessing right up till the end. Iggy is a really charismatic screen presence - beguiling, darkly witty, quite a nuanced performance... Dangerous but still sympathetic. Kacey Clarke is much more than just a sexy femme fatale and Ben Lamb pitches his performance perfectly as the spoiled brat looking for vengeance but getting further and further out of his depth. This is a movie that knows how to play around with genre expectations. A smart, slow burning thriller that draws you in and takes no prisoners.