Madonna: A Case of Blood Ambition

My review was written in September 1990 after watching the film on Atlas video cassette.

"Madonna" is an engrossing thriller about a beautiful woman's revenge. Direct-to-video feature from Canada could drum up interest beyond its catchy title.

Title refers to femme fatale Deborah Mansy's real name, Francesca Madonna Leone. Calling herself Laura, Mansy is on a tear killing off the jurors who found her dad guilty several years back of raping a child. Implication in the gradually unfolding plot is that Laura was also abused but has developed an insane attachment to daddy and to avenge him.

After a prolog detailing her latest victim, film dwells on Laura's ruining the life of ad man Eric Kramer, for whom she is posing as a model in a perfume campaign. Her real target is Karmer's wife, Pacale Devigny, who served on the jury.

Based on a novel by Ed Kelleher and Harritette Vidal, "Madonna" has a very interesting storyline which works quite well until some hurried contrivances in the final reel. Casting coup has Kramer juggling two women, Mansy and Devigny, who are quite similar-looking beauties, which serves to build audience identification with his tale. Kramer, who looks like film critic Jeffrey Lyons, does a good job with what is a very unsympathetic character (who turns against his wife and son rather quickly).

As Madonna/Laura, Mansy is a find and should be heard from again in glamorous roles.

Tech credits are modest, with the wintry locale not matching the hot spirits of the characters.

This movie's screen credits say it is based on the novel of the same name by Ed Kelleher and Harriette Vidal. This is true only to the extent that both feature a beautiful woman who is out to murder a group of men for a crime committed in the past. Do not look for a well-articulated plot or deep message here. Everything is subsidiary to the main character's drive for revenge; that being said, do look for good acting from a supporting cast of unknown Canadians, and lots of good location shooting which is all the more effective because of the film's minimal production values. All of this action looks very much like it could be taking place in your neighbourhood right now, featuring people very like your neighbours. Not everything is explained, but that is also how real life often is. All this gives it an impact which goes beyond its unpretentious style. (The original novel is also a good read, but, as I said, it has practically nothing to do with the movie.)