#612 - The Last Seduction (1994): Fiorentino's Femme Fatale - WatchThis W/RickRamos

John Dahl's The Last Seduction

Continuing with an idea that we started a few episodes back focusing on Lena Olin in Romeo is Bleeding, this week Mr. Chavez & I take a look at an overlooked neo-noir, erotic thriller from 1994 featuring a stand-out performance from Linda Fiorentino. Our basic idea is the difficulty of casting "dangerous and strong" female characters with intimidating and daring actresses. So, why was Linda Fiorentino - an intelligentl and overpowering actor - not given the opportunities to break big? In John Dahl's cult classic, The Last Seduction, audiences were never given the chance to watch a performance that defied the narrative conventions of redemption, nurturing, or karmic comeuppance that is standard in Hollywood films. Fiorentino gives a performance that ranks with the great femme fatales of cinema including: Barbara Stanwyck (Double Indemnity), Johan Bennet (The Woman in the Window), Marie Windsor (The Killing) and Ann Savage (Detour). As Bridget Gregory/Wendy Kroy, Fiorentino is a sexual force without any apologies or sense of regret. It's a performance Fiorentino fully dives into with equal parts sex appeal, intelligence, and danger. Featuring Peter Berg, Bill Pullman, and classic character villain, J.T. Walsh, Fiorentino is a lesson in femme fatale  manipulation. Take a listen and let us know if you agree. As always we can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com - Many Thanks. 

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