Jade

Scarecrow-88

A polished, sleazy tale(..did you expect anything less from writer Joe Eszterhas)about an assistant to the District Attorney with the Homicide division, David Corelli(David Caruso, who isn't the weak link here), who finds that the number one suspect of a hideous hatchet murder{to a very wealthy man, Kyle Medford)is a friend of his. That friend, Trina(the sexy Linda Fiorentino), is married to his old buddy, Matt(Chazz Palminteri)..a high powered attorney everyone fears. What makes matters worse are that things begin piling up against here..the most damning evidence being a videotape , nearly destroyed in a fire, containing her doing the nasty with another man. The pot is stirred as always because Eszerthas can not resist implicating high-society types and their varying degrees of immorality. The governor of California(Richard Crenna)finds his hands muddied when the investigators find photographs of him in bed with a hooker, Patrice(Angie Everhart). David finds he has a difficult path to tread as the governor threatens him, his important witnesses who can identify this particular woman named "Jade" as a woman sleeping with various men at a beach-house owned by the deceased Medford are being murdered, and the thought of his friend's wife(..a woman he had a relationship with before and still secretly loves)being a vicious killer..they all stockpile against him as he gets closer to the truth. This film, as directed by workman-like Friedkin, is very beautiful to look at, but like many films by the screenplay writer it is sordid and cold. There's a marvelous car chase as David tries to catch this black thunderbird that has killed Patrice. In an epic moment, both cars drive through a Chinatown Buddhist celebration. You have several shady characters who might be possible suspects, but if you have seen the work of one actor in particular, the twist at the end can be seen much earlier on. I feel Friedkin should've used a different actor to play the real killer, but can see why this person was cast..there's an animal in him that is often showcased in other films that needs to be driven home in this movie. I, for one, like the casting of Caruso as the hero of the film for he brings this intensity and intelligence to the character. He has that kind of trustworthy and likable face that makes us root for him as he races against many elements to find a killer. The film is layered with sex and deprivation as one should expect, and I didn't feel the ending holds up to the solid establishing scenes early on. Perhaps the film is too heavy on plot devices and not strong enough on plausibility. So many people are shown as corrupt lowlifes, that the only one we can trust is David(..well "most" of his team of investigators). Perhaps that is what the filmmakers wished to accomplish..that typicality of noirish film. I believe the film runs out of steam and I just couldn't buy how the killer does his deed and get away with it. Though the car chase is amazing, it's hard to believe anyone could survive such a maddening ordeal.

score 5/10

Scarecrow-88 24 August 2006

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1457315/