Jade ** (1995, David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino, Chazz Palminteri) – Classic Movie Review 2038

Director William Friedkin’s trashy 1995 thriller stars David Caruso, whose bright, intense TV talent is over-exposed here on the big screen, playing David Corelli, a bright assistant district attorney investigating a nasty hatchet killing among San Francisco’s rich folk.

Sexy Linda Fiorentino has a better, if not great, time as his ex-girlfriend Jade, who’s no better than she should be. Corelli is still in love with Jade, so he hides a clue he finds at the crime scene when the evidence points to her. Professional threats and an attempt on his life follow.

This sleazy adults-only thriller should be much, much better than it is –  a witless  farrago – even though it’s written by the experienced Joe Eszterhas, who penned Jagged Edge and Basic Instinct. It’s about the level of Eszterhas’s and producer Robert Evans’s 1993 Sliver, maybe a little less good even.

The flashy visuals and splashy score help put you in the right frame of mind. Friedkin handles it all very slickly but it’s no French Connection. It has a lurid fascination for fans of sordid thrillers.

Chazz Palminteri, Michael Biehn and Richard Crenna also star. Donna Murphy, Ken King, Holt McCallany, David Hunt, Kevin Tighe and Angie Everhart are in the cast too.

It runs 95 minutes with the director’s cut at 107 minutes. A hugely costly film at $50million, it flopped to take less than $10million in the US.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2038

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