The Last Seduction
| The Last Seduction | |
|---|---|
 Original theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | John Dahl |
| Produced by | Jonathan Shestack |
| Written by | Steve Barancik |
| Starring | Linda Fiorentino Peter Berg Bill Pullman |
| Music by | Joseph Vitarelli |
| Cinematography | Jeff Jur |
| Editing by | Eric L. Beason |
| Distributed by | October Films |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 110 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2,500,000 |
| Box office | $5,842,603 |
The Last Seduction is a 1994 neo-noir film directed by John Dahl, and features Linda Fiorentino, Peter Berg, and Bill Pullman. Fiorentino's performance generated talk of an Oscar nomination, but she was disqualified because the film was shown on HBO before it was released to theatres.
The movie was produced by ITC Entertainment and distributed by October Films. The 1999 direct-to-video sequel The Last Seduction II featured none of the original cast and starred Joan Severance as the character Fiorentino originated.
Contents |
Plot [edit]
The action opens in New York City, where Bridget works as a telemarketing manager and her husband Clay deals drugs to help sustain them both throughout his residency. Clay scores $700,000 by selling pharmaceutical cocaine to pay off a loan shark. The transaction is rather tense and involves a mock execution by the buyers. This close call leaves him shaken, and on his return home he slaps Bridget after she insults him. She then steals the cash for him and flees their home while he is in the shower.
On her way to Chicago she stops in Beston, a small suburb of Buffalo. There she meets Mike, a local man back from a whirlwind marriage in Buffalo that he does not want to talk about. She proceeds to use him, by her own admission, for mere sexual gratification during her stay in town. Adept at word games and mirror writing, and with an imminent return to her hometown in mind, Bridget changes her name to Wendy Kroy and gets a job at the insurance company where, coincidentally, Mike works. Their relationship is strained by her manipulative behavior and the fact he is falling for her. When Mike tells her how to find out if a man is cheating on his wife by reading his credit reports, Bridget invents a plan based on selling murders to cheated wives. She suggests they start with Lance Collier, a cheating, wife-beating husband residing in Florida. This proves to be the last straw for Mike and he leaves her alone in his place after an argument.
Parallel to these events, Clay gets his thumb broken by the loan shark who is looking for repayment for his loan. He does manage to speak to Bridget on the phone, and although she insists on arguing the slap as a reason for her theft, it is strongly implied throughout the film that this is just an excuse. It is also implied that Clay is clever enough to anticipate or divine most of Bridget's moves but has somehow failed to apprehend her sociopathic nature. Fearing for his physical integrity and in dire financial straits, he hires a private detective, Harlan, in order to search for his wife and the money. Harlan locates her area code, travels to Beston and accosts her at gunpoint in her car right after her argument with Mike. She manages to murder him on the drive back to her place, and tricks the police into closing the case without further investigation by using the racial prejudice prevalent in the area to her advantage.
She then resumes her manipulation of Mike and pretends to travel to Florida to kill Lance Collier, but instead goes to Buffalo to meet Mike's ex-wife, Trish. She shows Mike the money she stole from Clay to convince him she has taken a cut from the life insurance payout from the new widow as payment for the supposed killing. She tells him she has done it so they can live together, then tries to persuade him that he must also commit a similar murder so they will be even, and to prove that he loves her. She tries to talk Mike into killing a tax lawyer in New York City cheating old ladies out of their homes. At first he rejects the idea, but agrees after receiving a letter from his ex saying she is moving to Beston. The letter was forged by Bridget to change his mind.
Mike goes to New York and breaks into the apartment of the attorney, who turns out to be Clay. After Clay is tied up by Mike, he manages to work out what is happening when Mike mentions Bridget's alias, and convinces him of the truth by showing him a photo of himself and Bridget together. They then hatch a plot to double-cross her, but she turns the tables by killing Clay herself. She tells a stunned Mike to rape her. When he refuses, she tells him she knows the truth about Trish, who is a transsexual. She then tricks Mike into having rough sex with her while she has 9-1-1 on the line. Mike is arrested for rape and murder while she escapes with the cash and calmly destroys the only evidence that could have been used as in Mike's defense.
Cast [edit]
- Linda Fiorentino as Bridget Gregory
- Peter Berg as Mike Swale
- Bill Pullman as Clay Gregory
- Bill Nunn as Harlan
- J. T. Walsh as Frank Griffith
- Brien Varady as Chris
Awards [edit]
| Year | Award/Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| BAFTA Awards | |||
| 1995 | BAFTA Film Award - Best Actress | Linda Fiorentino | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | |||
| 1994 | CFCA Award - Best Actress | Linda Fiorentino | Nominated |
| Chlotrudis Awards | |||
| 1995 | Chlotrudis Award - Best Actress | Linda Fiorentino | Nominated |
| Cognac Festival du Film Policier | |||
| 1994 | Critics Award | John Dahl | Won |
| Directors Guild of America | |||
| 1995 | DGA Award – Outstanding Achievement in Dramatic Specials | John Dahl | Nominated |
| Edgar Allan Poe Awards | |||
| 1995 | Edgar - Best Motion Picture | Steve Barancik | Nominated |
| Independent Spirit Awards | |||
| 1995 | Independent Spirit Award - Best Female Lead | Linda Fiorentino | Won |
| London Film Critics Circle Awards | |||
| 1995 | ALFS Award – Actress of the Year | Linda Fiorentino | Won |
| Mystfest | |||
| 1994 | Best Film | John Dahl | Nominated |
| National Board of Review, USA | |||
| 1994 | NBR Award – Best TV Film | Won | |
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards | |||
| 1994 | NYFCC Award - Best Actress | Linda Fiorentino | Won |
| Society of Texas Film Critics Awards | |||
| 1994 | STFC Award - Best Actress | Linda Fiorentino | Won |
Bibliography [edit]
- Linda Ruth Williams (2005) The Erotic Thriller in Contemporary Cinema, Edinburgh University Press
References [edit]
External links [edit]
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Last Seduction |
- The Last Seduction at the Internet Movie Database
- The Last Seduction at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Last Seduction at AllRovi
- The Last Seduction at Metacritic
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