IMDB 6.3
|
Jack's Rating :
|
The movie opens up with a woman receiving condolences for the death of her husband.Catharine (Theresa Russell) looks at the pictures of her husband, and she cries.
We then switch to federal investigator Alexandra (Debra Winger) who is investigating a suspicious mob death. In her investigation she finds another death, of a millionaire, which was very similar.
We then see Catharine at her strong box, taking out a needle, and inserting a liquid in to a bottle through the cork. She is now with Ben (Dennis Hopper), and he goes for some brandy, and we next see a funeral procession.We then see a sister contesting the will of her brother's new will for his wife of two months. Catharine suggests a mid six figure "gift" to the sister.
We then see Catharine researching Japanese cooking, 19th century Italy, Seattle, American Indian tribes, rare coins ... We know right away that she is researching her next husband.
We then see Alex researching the wives of millionaires who have died from the same mysterious circumstances. The women seem to look alike and Alex begins to think they are the same woman. Alex goes out to investigate the widows, and they have all vanished in to thin air, along with the properties and money of the estates,
Catharine now has her sights on a coin collecting museum board member with an interest in Seattle Indian tribes. Catharine quickly ropes him in.
Meanwhile Alex has six suspects she is running down. One of them is in Seattle. Alex talks to Catharine's new husband, and Catharine finds out about her and is not happy. Catharine's new husband bites the dust, and Catharine is gone again. Alex feels really bad she didn't warn the husband.
Alex then follows Catharine (now Renee) to Hawaii. They both end up in scuba diving classes together and then they hang out together afterwards. Catharine already has a new target Paul, who owns a bunch of hotels. Catharine soon figures out who Alex is.
They go scuba diving and Alex's oxygen runs out, but Catharine saves her. Alex then begins spending time with Paul.
Catharine then hires a detective to follow Alex. The next things you know Paul is telling Alex that he and Renee are getting married. Alex is distraught because she liked Paul, and also because now she fears for him. Alex gives Catharine a black widow pendant at her wedding.
Alex then tells Paul that Renee married three rich men with three different names and all the men died. She also tells him that she is an FBI agent.
Catharine kills the detective but makes it look like Alex did it. She also makes her look like the guilty party in Paul's death. She has set her up as the jealous, jilted girlfriend. They thought that she was infatuated with Catharine.
But it is Catharine who is shocked when she visits Alex in jail and then Paul walks in. She has been set up.
We then switch to federal investigator Alexandra (Debra Winger) who is investigating a suspicious mob death. In her investigation she finds another death, of a millionaire, which was very similar.
We then see Catharine at her strong box, taking out a needle, and inserting a liquid in to a bottle through the cork. She is now with Ben (Dennis Hopper), and he goes for some brandy, and we next see a funeral procession.We then see a sister contesting the will of her brother's new will for his wife of two months. Catharine suggests a mid six figure "gift" to the sister.
We then see Catharine researching Japanese cooking, 19th century Italy, Seattle, American Indian tribes, rare coins ... We know right away that she is researching her next husband.
We then see Alex researching the wives of millionaires who have died from the same mysterious circumstances. The women seem to look alike and Alex begins to think they are the same woman. Alex goes out to investigate the widows, and they have all vanished in to thin air, along with the properties and money of the estates,
Catharine now has her sights on a coin collecting museum board member with an interest in Seattle Indian tribes. Catharine quickly ropes him in.
Meanwhile Alex has six suspects she is running down. One of them is in Seattle. Alex talks to Catharine's new husband, and Catharine finds out about her and is not happy. Catharine's new husband bites the dust, and Catharine is gone again. Alex feels really bad she didn't warn the husband.
Alex then follows Catharine (now Renee) to Hawaii. They both end up in scuba diving classes together and then they hang out together afterwards. Catharine already has a new target Paul, who owns a bunch of hotels. Catharine soon figures out who Alex is.
They go scuba diving and Alex's oxygen runs out, but Catharine saves her. Alex then begins spending time with Paul.
Catharine then hires a detective to follow Alex. The next things you know Paul is telling Alex that he and Renee are getting married. Alex is distraught because she liked Paul, and also because now she fears for him. Alex gives Catharine a black widow pendant at her wedding.
Alex then tells Paul that Renee married three rich men with three different names and all the men died. She also tells him that she is an FBI agent.
Catharine kills the detective but makes it look like Alex did it. She also makes her look like the guilty party in Paul's death. She has set her up as the jealous, jilted girlfriend. They thought that she was infatuated with Catharine.
But it is Catharine who is shocked when she visits Alex in jail and then Paul walks in. She has been set up.
The movie was good, but had a chance to be much better. I think Roger Ebert hit it on the head when he said::
Is there some kind of law governing Hollywood movies that says audiences don't like surprises? I don't mean predictable, would-be surprises, but real surprises - as, for example, when a story ends on a nihilistic note. "Black Widow" has an ending that is so false to the emotional truth of the movie that it looks tacked on by the censors of the 1930s.Here's why: From the moment Winger and Russell meet, there's a strong undercurrent of eroticism between the two women. We feel it, they feel it and the movie allows it one brief expression - when Russell roughly reaches out and kisses Winger. But Ron Base, who wrote the screenplay, and Bob Rafelson, who directed, don't follow that magnetism. They create the unconvincing love affair between Winger and the tycoon to set up a happy ending that left me feeling cheated.
What would have been more intriguing? Why not follow a more cynical, truly diabolical course - something inspired by the soul of film noir? Why not have Winger fall completely under the spell of the black widow and stand by while the tycoon is murdered so the two women can live happily ever after? And then end on an eerie note as Winger begins to wonder if Russell can trust her with the secret? That kind of psychological double-reverse would give the actresses something to work with. The story of "Black Widow," as told, is the kind of shallow, one-dimensional plotting we expect on television, where there are no unpleasant surprises to upset the audience. There are just enough subtle hints in "Black Widow" to suggest that certain more sinister possibilities occurred to Rafelson and Base. But I guess they manfully resisted them and did the safe thing.
Good movie. Could have been much better if it had been braver.
Quotes:
Catherine Peterson: The truth is, I'm sorry it's over.
Alexandra 'Alex' Barnes: The truth is, it's not over yet.
Sara: When he didn't come to the office, 10:30, 11:00, I called the house. Catherine... he went in his sleep, peacefully. The doctor said if you'd been sleeping right next to him, you wouldn't have even known. You couldn't have done anything.