nalinixs
"Original Sin" is a remake of the French "Mississipi Mermaid", aka "La sirène du Mississipi" (1969), direct by François Truffaut, with Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Paul Belmondo. In Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, the owner of a cigarette factory Louis Mahé is engaged through correspondence with Julie Roussel and he does not know her. When Julie arrives in the island to get married with Louis, he waits for her in the docks but Louis does not recognize Julie in the passenger vessel and finds that she is totally different from the picture she had sent to Louis. They get married and Louis shares his bank accounts with her. When Julie's sister writes a letter to Louis asking her sister to write to her, Louis discovers that the woman is not Julie that is missing. Further, he finds that the woman has cleared his bank accounts and left the island. Louis and Julie's sister hire an efficient private detective Comolli and Louis travels to France seeking the woman, but he has a nervous breakdown in Nice and is submitted to an intense sleeping therapy in a clinic. He recovers and finds that the woman, actually Marion Vergano, works in the Phoenix Club Privé in Antibes and lives in the low-budget Monorail Hotel. Louis breaks in her room and when she arrives from the club, she tells that she was happy with him but her former dangerous lover Richard had blackmailed her. Louis is still in love with Marion and escapes with her to the countryside. But Comolli is chasing Marion in France accused of murdering Julie. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Serge M
This movie seems to be a remake of François Truffaut's "La sirène du Mississipi" (1969, "Mississippi Mermaid"). Although this might be becauseboth quote Cornell Woolrich's novel "Waltz into Darkness" as source.I consider Truffaut's movie to be of better make. The erotic charge is much less in Mississipi Mermaid. The tension between (young) Belmondo and Deneuve is of a very different nature than the relationship between Jolie and Banderas. If you're looking for "hot scenes", go for Benderas & Jolie, if you're into classic cinema, then Truffaut is your choice (but you probably already know that.
moonspinner55
A wealthy, handsome businessman in 1880s Havana advertises in the States for a marriageable woman to sail to his country, become his bride, and bear his children; however, the sultry, lusty young thing who arrives from Delaware curiously bears no resemblance to the photograph she has sent (she's even hotter!), and soon a private detective is snooping about asking questions. Cornell Woolrich's novel "Waltz Into Darkness" would seem an ideal murder-mystery/sexual thriller to absorb a modern-day audience (as a storyteller, Woolrich was far ahead of his time), but writer-director Michael Cristofer doesn't have the teasing personality, nor the sure-handed style, to bring out the juicy twists of this tale. Leads Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie look good together in and out of their clothes, but his forceful, full-blooded acting eclipses hers by a mile. Jolie is not convincing in this period setting; she has little range and, once the camera begins feasting upon her features in Mount Rushmore-like close-ups, her focus visibly wavers (it's a dreadful performance). Told in flashback, we are immediately privy to Jolie's mysteries, with an outcome that defies explanation. Cristofer intermittently tries out different photographic tricks and editing techniques, presumably to pad the running time but in effect showing off his uncertainty as a filmmaker. The dialogue (and Jolie's indifferent delivery of it) is often ludicrously funny, though Banderas deserves credit for at least attempting to take his part of the project seriously. *1/2 from ****
Samiam3
I find it difficult to pass judgement of films based on novels when I have not read the novel. (unless of course the novelist was the screen writer like Michael Blake with Dances with Wolves) Original Sin feels like somewhat familiar territory. I cannot quite pin point a film off the back of my head which used this idea. I suppose though, that if labelled an erotic thriller anyone can name fifty films off the back of their heads. I think I can see Original Sin working as a novel. As a movie though, it has some storytelling problems, which depending on your attention span may weaken the experience. I am reminded a bit of Basic Instinct. What we have here a sexy and erotic game which sort of goes in circles. Original Sin is the superior movie in part because it is more beautiful, the sex is less distracting, Banderas and Jolie are a better screen couple, and the ending of the movie is a nice touch.Set in Havana, in what looks like the late 19th century. The curtain rises on the luxurious home of Don Luis Vargas. He has recently mail ordered a bride from the states, who shows up the next day. Her name is Julia. They are married in the sunshine of a beautiful afternoon, and they are happy. A few days later however, Julia disappears. Not only that but Luis' bank accounts have been cleared. Not only that, but he finds out that the girl he married is not the Julia Russell he has been sending letters to in the months leading up to their wedding. Oh and not only THAT but the real Julia may have been killed at this woman's hand. suddenly Vargas is in the middle of a very dangerous game, once he goes looking for his apparent wife.The film is sprinkled with several contrived twists and turns, which are typical of almost all thrillers. It is not inventive in the least, but it IS aesthetically evocative, and fairly engaging. In the same way Titanic was a contemporary love story set a hundred years ago, Original Sin is a contemporary erotic-thriller set around the same time (give or take a couple of decades) It turns out to be not bad, there is certainly room for improvement, but it's watchable.
AD
