Never a fan of the misogynistic and psychologically pretentious "Basic Instinct" which took in millions--of viewers, that is, I had some hope for the reworking of the much-delayed project that languished in development for years. After all, I don't think Sharon Stone is that bad of an actress.
A friend has a DVD copy of "Basic Instinct 2" which I now regret borrowing. The opening scene seemed to me funnily prophetic: A stylish vehicle careens out of control, crashes and...sinks. The most readily apparent thing about the movie is its stylishness: It is artfully blocked, lit and shot, production design is sumptuous, Sharon Stone looked even more so, and the building where the analyst holds court appropriately phallic. Alas, the plodding pace and dialog failed to keep my eyes open, or maybe it's just last night's festivities that hung a heavy cloud of somnolence over my viewing experience. No matter. When the twist at the end came, it had about as much gasp factor as someone breaking wind: Someone is relieved, others are offended.
A friend has a DVD copy of "Basic Instinct 2" which I now regret borrowing. The opening scene seemed to me funnily prophetic: A stylish vehicle careens out of control, crashes and...sinks. The most readily apparent thing about the movie is its stylishness: It is artfully blocked, lit and shot, production design is sumptuous, Sharon Stone looked even more so, and the building where the analyst holds court appropriately phallic. Alas, the plodding pace and dialog failed to keep my eyes open, or maybe it's just last night's festivities that hung a heavy cloud of somnolence over my viewing experience. No matter. When the twist at the end came, it had about as much gasp factor as someone breaking wind: Someone is relieved, others are offended.