Review of Basic Instinct (1992) by Alexander Z — 25 May 2011
This is one of those movies that are simultaneously bad and great. Some of the dialogue is a bit cheesy in places and the plot gets a bit too convoluted at times but Paul Verhoeven's stylish direction is just awesome throughout.
The cinematography is cold and just so awesome, particularly the interior shots. Michael Douglas is superb from start to finish and even Sharon Stone is pretty good in her star-making role as the femme fatale of the movie.
Many have said bad things about this movie on the negative ways the film portrays women and homosexuality, and while almost all of this is justified to an extent, the movie is still a pretty awesome erotic thriller with more twists and turns than the highway that Douglas chases Stone through.
In fact you don't even find out who the killer is until the final shot as the plot keeps putting doubts into who the viewer believes is the true killer. It's an excellent piece of neo-noir with plenty of references to films like Psycho, North by Northwest, and the most obvious one Vertigo.
This is a movie worth checking out. It's no mystery/thriller masterpiece but it's pretty damn entertaining and boy does it have some good sex scenes. Oh, and yes you do indeed see her you-know-what, just barely but it's definitely there.
8/10.
This review of Basic Instinct (1992) was written by Alexander Z on 25 May 2011.
Basic Instinct has generally received mixed reviews.
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