Review of Body Heat (1981) by Evan K — 05 Feb 2017
Surprisingly entertaining early eighties thriller that has more plot twists than an episode of Murder, She Wrote which at times I thought I was watching.
It has that made for television feel. Maybe it is because the film is nearly forty years old?
It has a stellar cast including William Hurt (not the late John Hurt) as lawyer Ned Racine, Kathleen Turner (Matty Walker - apparently!) in her film debut and Ted Danson with a pre Three Men and a Baby hairstyle.
The plot is very reminiscent of film noir genre. Matty is a female vamp who entraps Ned in a murder/inheritance case with copious amounts of naked shenanigans to make up the screenplay!
As well as the copulation a Florida heatwave is behind the film's title.
On reading the production team credits I noticed that the music was scored by legendary James Bond composer John Barry. I noticed some strings from the Moonraker score in there.
At the time of the film's release in 1981 it was some thirty or forty years since the height of film noir releases.
The sex scenes are tame in today's social media driven society but I can imagine they were considered quite 'steamy' at the time.
Turner who I have only feint eighties recollections in Romancing The Stone makes a splendid screen debut.
A film that is worthy of its quite high ratings.
This review of Body Heat (1981) was written by Evan K on 05 Feb 2017.
Body Heat has generally received very positive reviews.
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