The Last Seduction Movie Review
Suzy Amis in Blown Away. Anne Archer in Patriot Games AND Clear and Present Danger. Linda Hamilton in Silent Fall. What do all these actresses have in common? Wimpo women's parts! They're there for hugging and kissing. They wait while the HERO fights in all sorts of dangerous situations. They may even be brain surgeons! But so what? They have NO meaningful moments onscreen. And then there's Linda Fiorentino as Bridget Gregory in John Dahl's The Last Seduction. Now there's our kind of screen queen. Her husband (Bill Pullman?!) hits her and she runs off with their heist money. Love it! Then she runs away and has sex with this small town guy played by Peter Berg. He wants to get to know her better, she doesn't. Not unless he plays her games her way. And she plays rough. Not since Double Indemnity's Phyllis Dietrichson have we seen such a remorseless manipulator. Steve Barancik's screenplay goes from strength to strength; every time you start to wonder what Bridget could possibly do after a string of dastardly deeds, she pulls off a nasty string of encores with ease. Bridget MOSTLY lays her cards upon the table. She may not let the guys in on all the details, but at least the outlines of every single one of her traps are visible to the naked eye. Linda Fiorentino is the only actress I know who's able to elicit sympathy even when we spend most of a movie convinced she's a cold-blooded killer, as in 1993's Acting on Impulse. But that was just a warm-up for her expert work in The Last Seduction. After watching movie after movie in which the good guys blow away 292 people, I can't see why 1994 audiences would have a problem with a small-scale, if full-blown villainess. And I hope Fiorentino decides to stay mean; anyone can pour coffee and whine about the hero's job, but NO ONE ever gave scenes with a plate of cookies or a can of mace such a sinister edge!
1994 (R) 110m/C Linda Fiorentino, Peter Berg, J.T. Walsh, Bill Nunn, Bill Pullman; D: John Dahl; W: Steve Barancik; C: Jeffrey Jur; M: Joseph Vitarelli. Independent Spirit Awards ‘95: Best Actress (Fiorentino); New York Film Critics Awards ‘94: Best Actress (Fiorentino). VHS, LV, Closed Caption