| Body Double (1984) Dir: Brian DePalma Cast: Craig Wasson, Melanie Griffith, Gregg Henry, Deborah Shelton Rated R, Approx: 114 minutes Columbia/Tri-Star Video and DVD |
| Matt's Rating: ***** (out of 5) |
| Reviewed by Matt Serafini 02/24/02 |
 |
| Click on my friend here to email me. |
| Making 'Hitchcockian' thrillers have always been director Brian DePalma's strong point. Sisters, Obsession, Dressed to Kill and Blow Out are all superb examples of the director's talent and ability to tap into the Hitchcock verve while running along his own path. To brand DePalma a Hitchcock knockoff is grossly unfair. At times, his films may recall elements of the master and that may distract some as there are moments in the above films that do recall Rear Window, Psycho and Vertigo to list a few. At times, we may feel like we're treading familiar territory, but with DePalma, we're never sure where things are heading. Even when we feel like we've seen it before, it's often only a setup to veer the story into a different direction, constantly keeping the viewer interested and on their toes. Offering up constant thrills and suspense with a brilliant style, DePalma's films are all his own. After battling the MPAA over Dressed to Kill and the 1983 gangster film Scarface, DePalma sought to really push the envelope with his next film, his masterpiece Body Double. Featuring some outrageous gore, ample and exploitative nudity along with a cast of relative unknowns, Body Double may just be the only bona fide American giallo ever made (other DePalma films certainly have embraced elements of Dario Argento's gialli though none can really be labeled such). Drawing stark divisions between critics and audiences alike upon its theatrical release, Body Double is nothing short of amazing. Serving up a very clever murder mystery with several brilliantly directed and stylish moments throughout, the film is both a superbly compelling horror film and a brutally funny middle finger to the MPAA and some of the director's harsher critics of the past. The end result is simply one of the best films of the 1980s and a real personal favorite of mine, very, very high up on the list.
Jack Scully (Craig Wasson) is a horror film actor fallen on hard times. Meeting up with a fellow actor at an audition, Scully is set up with a housesitting gig at a very posh and luxurious home. Jake soon discovers that using a telescope, he can see into the bedroom of neighbor Gloria Revelle (Deborah Shelton) who happens to perform an erotic striptease every evening in front of her bedroom window. As Jake becomes more and more enchanted with the mysterious beauty, he follows her one afternoon from a trip to a shopping mall (in one of the film's most mesmerizing sequences) to a stroll on the beach. When Jake witnesses Gloria's brutal murder (through the telescope) at the hands of a hulking Indian wielding a power drill, the authorities refuse to believe his somewhat outrageous story. As Jake is now the prime suspect in the murder, he begins an investigation of his own which leads him into the heart of the X rated film industry where he meets an incredibly sexy porn star, Holly Body (Melanie Griffith-who steals the film), who is the answer to solving the brutal killing. It's hard to find fault with Body Double on any level. When released in '84, DePalma came under criticism for casting Craig Wasson (A Nightmare on Elm Street 3) in the lead, but Wasson has always been a fine actor and as Jake Scully, he's likable and sympathetic. Stealing the film however, is Melanie Griffith as the ditzy porn star Holly Body. Griffith delivers the best performance of her career in this film and looks incredibly sexy throughout. Originally intended for real porn star Annette Haven (she passed because she didn't like the gory violence of the script) and offered to Jamie Lee Curtis (she passed because she wanted to avoid typecasting coming off Trading Places where she played a hooker), it's hard to imagine anyone other than Griffith in the role and is an absolute blessing that the others passed it up. She brings so much charm and charisma to the character of Holly and makes what could've been an empty, forgettable part into exactly the opposite. All acting aside, DePalma's story is in turn grisly, erotic, funny, suspenseful and just plain scummy and the ride you're taken on is one that the viewer isn't likely to forget. Told with such passion, DePalma infuses so much visual gusto into the film that it's quite breathtaking some of the time and at others, just plain heart pounding. DePalma misdirects the audience almost as much as he does his characters keeping all of us on our toes, and tosses in some bizarre conventions just for good measure. 80's pop group 'Frankie Goes to Hollywood turn up in one particularly amusing scene and the end credits are a direct response to the criticisms he took for using a body double for Angie Dickinson's nude scenes in Dressed to Kill. Body Double obviously won't please everybody, but it does appeal to a wide range of genre fans for sure. European giallo fans will be surprised to see an American film emulate the 'formula' with incredible success, as it stands, I'd say it's among the best. Those looking for a good, offbeat thriller should also really enjoy this one as well as horror fans just looking for one of the most outstanding genre efforts in the part twenty years. This one has long been a favorite of mine and every genre fan should see it. Originally intending to produce the film for director Ken Wiederhorn (Return of the Living Dead part II, Meatballs part II), DePalma seized the film back after another project of his fell by the wayside. With Body Double we have the director working at the top of his game. Easily the director's best film (no small feat) in this reviewer's eyes, you can't ask for more in an evening's worth of entertainment. Remember, as the tagline goes, "you can't believe everything you see", but you will love seeing it all! On an interesting note, the film's teaser trailer won a Clio Award! |