The film “Original Sin”, released in 2001, is an American erotic thriller directed by Michael Cristofer featuring Antonio Banderas alongside Angelina Jolie. The film is based on Cornell Woolrich’s novel, “Waltz into Darkness.” It is also a remake of François Truffaut’s “Mississippi Mermaid” produced in 1969. The film is set in Cuba in the late nineteenth century. Its primary themes include love, betrayal, obsession, and its consequences.
Summary:
Luis Vargas (Antonio Banderas) is a well-off Cuban coffee plantation owner who, seeking a partner, orders a bride from the United States. Upon arrival, Julia Russell (Angelina Jolie) astonishes him with her looks, which differ significantly from the picture she sent him. She explains her ill-fitted photograph by saying that she wanted to be loved for her personality, not her looks. They get married almost immediately and have a very passionate relationship for the most part.
In this new version, with each passing day, Luis learns more and more to love Julia. He gives her access to his wealth and his business. With the arrival of private investigator Walter Downs (Thomas Jane), who is looking for the ‘real’ Julia Russell on behalf of her sister, things begin to seem suspicious. Luis exits his world only to go deeper and deeper into a world filled with lies and betrayal. Luis’s reality gets extremely complicated as he delves deeper and deeper into a world filled with obsession and a dangerous attempt to seek out the truth.
Antonio Banderas as Luis Vargas: Banderas plays the wealthy Cuban businessman whose need for love blinds him and makes him fall for a trap of lies and deceit.
Angelina Jolie as Julia Russell/Bonny Castle: Jolie plays the role of the charming bride but is a mysterious character with an equally mysterious past that drives the story forward.
Thomas Jane as Walter Downs/Billy/Mephisto: Jane takes charge of a revealing antagonist who changes the narrative of the plot with every twist and turn.
Jack Thompson as Alan Jordan: Thompson plays the supporting role which is central to the main character’s drama.
Michael Cristofer directed it and the skillful touch of cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto was simply an enhancement to the lush Cuban landscape and sultry background necessary to set the tone of the story. The music score by Terence Blanchard also fully complements the sensual and suspenseful undertones of the film.
Evaluation of Reception:
The reviews of “Original Sin” ranged from mixed to negative upon its release. It has an approval rating of 12% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 90 reviews with the consensus remarking, “Original Sin is painstakingly bad, full of low-level acting, awful dialogue, and bad plotting.”
Metacritic shows a score of 33 out of 100, pointing to generally negative reviews.
Prominent critic Roger Ebert had a slightly better take on the film: “It is a sweaty, candle-lit and joyously trashy melodrama, and its photography wallows in sumptuous decadence.”
He further analyzed how Jolie’s capability to dominate screen time and throughout dialogue was after all greatly delivered, hence justifying his perspective.
Mark Dujsik from Mark Reviews Movies, on the other hand, was less sympathetic, offering the view that the film is “a flimsy erotic thriller, and one that is deeply flawed,” which indicates that the film is able to escape its genre norms or not.
A similar split was found in the audience. Some were enamored with highly charged performances and the rich visuals, while some were disappointed with dialogue and the lack of storyline.
Regardless, the film has some positive aspects like mythical themes, and betrayal, while the fascinating Cuban city serves as a breathtaking backdrop. Doberman beginning with the film marks the breakdown of family, love, theft, and political chaos. Even regard to the film captures Doberman Are, the vivid poster and the trailer draws considerable interest within the audience.
In regard to the aforementioned criticism,s the film lacks in regards to character development and dialogue, resonates with nearly every cinematic venture undertaken during post Stalin period and serves as a generic template with a modern appeal. While the film attempts to participate in a revolutionary makeover with its characters, it instantly loses her within the first few scenes.
Even for these shortcomings, the cover up emanating from the perspective of the younger generation and vibrant captivation nurtured by cinematography, allows viewers to forgive this unprecedented mistake. Even though these themes are exceptionally drab, the portrayal of deceit itself is almost unnaturally relatable, and serves as a chilling reminder to real Chinese society.
In conclusion, as aforementioned, instead of a polished narrative, the film showcases maximal attributes of the actors and stunned the audiences with new serenity and depth of Jallow. The focus on knowing disclosure leaves ambiguity, and the fear of disappointment looms when one considers the fact that from emotion, the visual beauty of the film is unbearable.
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