JADE (2005)

Directed By: William Friedkin
Written By: Joe Eszterhaus
Cinematography By: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Editor: Auggie Hess

Cast: David Caruso, Chazz Palmenteri, Linda Fiorentino, Angie Everhart, Donna Murphy, Richard Crenna, Kevin Tighe


What do you get when you have a ridiculous movie built around a Great car chase sequence? This movie. Having directed TO LIVE & DIE IN L.A. and THE FRENCH CONNECTION. We know director William Friedkin can expertly direct a car chase sequence. He has a good batting average when it comes to material he directs. This film howeer feels like a hodgepodge of ideas from a police procedural television show made into a erotic sexual thriller that seeks to have a deeper meaning but doesn’t. The film is written by high profile screenwriter Joe Ezterhaus who also wrote BASIC INSTINCT and SHOWGIRLS. This script for this film seems to be about more hype then substance. Which shows it’s way on screen.

Director Friendkin has a Competent cast. David Caruso’s first film after quitting the hit show NYPD BLUE. Linda Fiorentino trying to build upon her momentum from her Career Peak of THE LAST SEDUCTION playing another Femme Fatale. Chazz Palmenteri fresh from a oscar nominated performance in A BRONX TALE.

Ms. Fiorentino plays a object of desire for most of the men in this film. Which basically revolves around around a high class escort agency that caters to many of the city’s high rollers. Though many of the escorts seem to be rich, bored housewives who are middleaged and do this for fun. When a murder of a city official happens David Caruso Is called into the case. He uncovers this conspiracy that may involve his best friend and the friends wife who he has never gotten over.

Almost every male character is horny, devious, lecherous and aggressive. Every female character seems to believe their only worth is how good they are in bed. Which all ends up equating to BASIC INSTINCT lite. Which is why when finally the mystery is solved you feel like you wasted your time watching this and even wanting to know the outcome.

Which is the problem with most erotic thrillers they spend so much time trying to titillate you with nudity, lead up to sex scenes and then finally the sex scenes they don’t put any real attention inot the story, Script, plot or acting which is why most erotic thrillers feel either campy or like each aspect is overdone because you know eventually what it will all lead to.

The film is even Name checked in THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN for the David Caruso type of acting but really other then that and the car chase scene there is nothing much here that you haven’t seen in a made for cable erotic movie that you would see on Cinemax (Skinemax) with a bigger budget and better production values. Even the sex scenes aren’t sexy they are more disturbing in a bad way. Like watching two people who really aren’t into it and get violent all of a sudden.

You can skip this film altogether unless you really want to watch a film with a bad identity crisis.

Skip It.

GRADE: D