The ultimate femme fatale is a winner who gets away with murder. The final shots – of Matty’s yearbook photo (as Ned discovers her real identity) dissolving into present-day Matty (who has faked her own death) on a beach on a tropical island are also perfection. The moment when Ned realizes that the daughter, who can positively identify him in a compromising position with Matty, is outside his detective friend’s office is delicious – you can see Hurt’s blood run cold and his soul leave his body before your very eyes. The real thing - big-time, major-league trouble.” One of the major complications comes from Matty’s sister-in-law and her daughter. In the second half of the film, Ned tries to dig himself out of the increasingly deep hole he finds himself in – between the will, the fact that his best friends are a cop and a DA and Matty acting increasingly suspiciously and then disappearing all together.
Ted Danson and Mickey Rourke have surprisingly small supporting roles, although it was fairly early in the careers of both actors (it being pre- Cheers for Danson and pre- Diner for Rourke). Set during a heat-wave in Florida, the aptly named Body Heat is one the sweatiest films of all time – with the steam veritably wafting off the screen. With her thick mane of blonde hair, a body that looks fantastic in white silk “you shouldn’t wear that body” and that famous husky voice – Turner was born to play Matty Walker – a danger to rich husbands the world over. Turner could have been made in a femme fatale factory – she is so perfectly suited to archetype – and it’s no coincidence that she voiced Jessica “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way” Rabbit. With his tall but fairly skinny frame, floppy blonde hair and mustache, Hurt may not have been a typical sex symbol (especially compared with the Marvel muscles of today), but he absolutely works in the role and his chemistry with Kathleen Turner is electric.
William Hurt plays the perfectly-named Ned Racine – the lawyer who becomes a patsy in the femme fatale’s nefarious scheme. Several of these can currently be found in the Criterion Channel’s neo-noir selection, along with one of the decade’s best – Lawrence Kasden’s Body Heat (1981).īody Heat was the first of four collaborations between Kasden and William Hurt and all four are fantastic - with the other three being The Big Chill (1983), the hugely under-seen and underrated The Accidental Tourist (1988) and the brilliant dark comedy I Love You to Death (1990). From Fatal Attraction (Adrian Lyne, 1987), Dressed to Kill (Brian De Palma, 1980) Body Double (Brian De Palma, 1984) and The Bedroom Window (Curtis Hansen, 1987) to the New Orleans movies The Big Easy (Jim McBride, 1986) and Angel Heart (Alan Parker, 1987), and onto the remakes of Breathless (Jim McBride, 1983), Cat People (Paul Schrader, 1982) and The Postman Always Rings Twice (Bob Rafelson, 1981) – the 80s gave us noir fans endless treats.
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By that time, it may be too late both for himself and for Matty.The 80s were the golden-age of the neo-noir, when they collided with the erotic thriller to combust into hot, steamy, passionate movies full of sex, sweat, sharp clothes, cigarette smoke, saxophone-soaked soundtracks and sultry femme fatales. But after he is unable to heed the advice of Peter and Oscar, Ned comes to some realizations about what he's gotten himself into. As they proceed with the plot, they encounter some unforeseen obstacles, including some the result of last minute changes to the plan by Matty without her notifying Ned beforehand. Since Matty signed a prenuptial agreement that would provide her nothing upon a divorce, they decide instead to murder Edmund. As their affair escalates into a declaration of love, it also turns to one of greed, wanting both each other and Edmund's money. She stipulates he can't tell anyone of their affair, which is against the general behavior of telling his friends, public attorney Peter Lowenstein and police detective Oscar Grace.
Despite Matty playing hard to get, which turns Ned on more, the two begin a passionate affair. Ultimately she tells him that nothing will happen between them since she's married, her wealthy businessman husband, Edmund Walker, who comes to their home in upscale Pinehaven only on the weekends if that at all. She flirts with him despite his less than subtle come-ons and she thinking him simple minded. Although he spies several women as possible conquests, the one he really has his sights set on is the beautiful Matty Walker, who he can tell comes from money by her appearance. The heat doesn't affect the overactive sex drive of womanizing Ned Racine, a somewhat inept Miranda Beach lawyer who has his own small law firm. A heat wave has settled over the Florida coast.