Maria Mayenzet in Jagged Edge (1985)

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This 1985 script is the flip side of Basic Instinct. Jeff Bridges is a newspaper editor who is accused of killing his wife. He's friendly, charming, seductive, and nobody believes he really did it. Everyone believes that it's just a campaign strategy by the slimy local D.A.. Joe Eszterhas actually did a good job on this script. His improbable plot twists and red herrings are as ludicrous as ever but ...

SPOILER AHEAD ...

He does everything possible to make you believe that Bridges didn't do it. Not only is The Jeffster nice and handsome beyond belief, but the evidence is tainted, the same D.A. has planted and withheld evidence in the past, the prosecution witnesses lie, and there is the usual other suspect who is a total slimeball. Yet Bridges did do it. No sell-out, no happy Hollywood ending, but a simple fact staring you in the face in the final scene. And this delicious twist makes up for all the implausible and manipulative plot points. Plus Eszterhas was more careful than usual here, and there weren't any massive gaps in the logic of the script or in the motivations of the characters

Quite competently directed by Richard Marquand, who died quite young. As a reminder, he's the guy Lucas chose to direct Return of the Jedi. Very competently acted by an excellent cast, (Bridges, Glenn Close, Peter Coyote) especially Robert Loggia is the ultimate foul-mouthed seedy detective who doesn't ever believe anything anybody tells him.

I mentioned some weeks ago that I would really be surprised if Jeremy Irons is ever funny. I will be even more surprised if Glenn Close is, but I have to admit I haven't seen those doggie movies, and she's supposed to be pretty funny in those.

Glenn Close's collages are pretty ugly. The lighting was really dark, so it's a little tough to see much.

Maria Mayenzet also gets naked. And you guys say we never feature any big stars!

Marquand did a very spectacular job in the camera set up and ambient light for this scene, even if it is darker than we perverts would like it.

Written by: Scoopy...Scoopy.net