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Basic Instinct 2
A Sony Pictures Entertainment release of a Mario F. Kassar and presentation, in association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, of a C2/Intermedia production in association with IMF 3.
 Produced by Mario Kassar, Andrew G. Vajna, Executive producers, Matthias Deyle, Denise O'Dell, Mark Albela.
Co-producer, Laura Viederman.
Directed by Michael Caton-Jones.
Screenplay, Leora Barish, Henry Bean, based on characters created by Joe Eszterhas.
Catherine Tramell — Sharon Stone
Dr. Michael Glass — David Morrissey
Det. Roy Washburn — David Thewlis
Dr. Milena Gardosh — Charlotte Rampling
Adam Tower — Hugh Dancy
Michelle Broadwin — Flora Montgomery
Laney Ward — Anne Caillon
Peter Ristedes — Iain Robertson
Kevin Franks — Stan Collymore
Denise Glass — Indira Varma
Dr. Jakob Gerst — Heathcote Williams
Camera (color, Panavision widescreen), Gyula Pados; editors, John Scott, Istvan Kiraly; music, John Murphy; production designer, Norman Garwood; supervising art director, Chris Lowe; art directors, James Foster, Paul Inglis; set decorator, Maggie Gray; costume designer, Beatrix Aruna Pasztor; hair & makeup, Chris Blundell; sound (Dolby Digital), Rosie Straker; supervising sound editor, Martin Evans; supervisor, Steve Hamilton; associate producer, James Middleton; assistant director, Mark Goddard; second unit director, Shaun O'Dell; additional camera, Adrian Biddle; casting, Karen Lindsay-Stewart.
Rating: R (for strong sexuality, nudity, violence, language and some drug content). Running time: 115 MIN.
Column Rating: Possibly…if you have nothing else to do…Risk addiction, in all its forms, as the MPAA rating implies, is portrayed in this film. The violence and drugs could offend many. It's a good bet the sex scenes may jump you up out of your seat and out of the auditorium. Strong sexuality is an understatement, in the least.
Being a polite reviewer, I decided to watch the fashion show, lament Stone's predilection for bad directors—and remain in my seat.
With Your Children? No way
 
BASIC INSTINCT 2 is all about Sharon Stone—how she dresses, how she moves, how she gloats, sneers and attempts to give her all to really awful one liners. The gentleman target victim this go around was David Morrissey, who managed well enough. Stone reprised her role as Catherine Tramell, pulp-fiction author, in this sequel set 14 years after our first encounter with this wacko. If you're like me, you didn't see the first one. Heard about the famous crossing her legs sitting on the chair scene, so why go see it? What did I know?
 
Basic Instinct 2 rotated onto our list of movie screenings, and I wondered. Then, I think, Sharon Stone is such a philanthropist; I'd temporarily set aside my aversion to the wannabe thriller-but-really-a-horror-movie genre. In addition, recently, I became aware BI 2, shot on location in London, promised this armchair traveler a nice visit to the UK. The press packet sent to us had Ms. Stone in a different outfit in every photo—fashion show!—cool. How bad can a scare or two really be? Little did I know. This movie makes you jump, squirm and fight the constant desire to yell warnings to all these hapless characters we thought were intelligent people in possession of a small dollop of common sense. The urge to knock the doc up along side the head, as he repeatedly, and mind you, not impulsively, overrode his obvious struggle with his better judgment. Pointless well wishing. He wasn't listening. Finally, I reminded myself there was the fashion show.
 Ms. Stone appears to lead the pack of dangerously seductive ladies on celluloid, even Cat Woman is lower on the list. Stone personifies the modernized Mae West/Ingrid Bergman/Betty Davis/Barbara Stanwyck form. She has fully developed her whole be-with-me-for-a-once-in-a-lifetime fling—even if you die in the having. Way beyond come-hither looks. She exudes lethally hypnotizing innuendo and double entendre. To anyone who regards sarcastic, trivializing banter pointing out you-are-not-a-worthy opponent in her twisted, sex-implied mind games, this stuff is nectar of the gods. Ask anyone; truly, did they find Stone's Tramell fascinating, honestly? Use your poker face, and hold it after the answer, in all fairness. No derision is allowed. You requested an honest answer.
 I believe Stone expressed the charisma necessary and did an excellent job of delivering the sneering smile that evokes this apparently common fascination with women in complete sexual control of the situation. The sets were architecturally gorgeous and matched Ms. Stone's outfits. There is a peculiarly phallic-shaped glass building in London I have not really noticed. It isn't taller than the other buildings, but once you've seen it used in connection with this movie, you can spot it in any London skyline that comes across your line of sight. If you know what the building is called, or its use, please let me know!
OK. Is there a story to mention here? Yes, a good one, formulaic, as they say, but as a vehicle for Stone, et al, it managed an interesting plot. The idea is this wealthy author comes to town and lays waste to this weak psychiatrist's life. He pronounces her a risk addict at her inquiry, at which he testified as an expert witness. She ambushes him at his office in an outfit conducive to the task, appealing to him to 'see' her professionally as his assessment of her behavior troubled her deeply. He refuses, as he doesn't see people about which he has just testified. She taunts him. He capitulates. Well, there you have it. He gives up control in the face of his newfound lust, and the games begin.
 
Morrissey tops the list of British, Irish, Scottish and European actors populating the character roster. Doomed as well, David Thewlis, the cop, delivers an obsessed detective you want to trust, but vacillate to questioning his motives…back and forth. Charlotte Rampling, a more familiar Brit, capably began stirring doubts just as I decided she was the only good guy in the lot. The entire cast turned in marvelous performances.
 
Can I be allowed a minor detour? My feelings: safe sex, consenting adults, fantasies galore—all the domain of the individual—no one else's business—don't want to judge, nor permit anyone to be judged by anyone. So here's the rub (pun intended). When did the 'R' rating slip to include XXX rated scenes. XXXXX would be the rating for 'hard' porn, as a friend tells me—XXX is just soft-porn where you don't actually see anything happen, and as such doesn't rattle too many cages nowadays. Yikes. Beware the 'R' rating when a movie is listed as a thriller/mystery/crime/drama and carries actors known for nude activity on film. Interpolate.
 
Basic Instinct 2 depicts Tramell as wildly wealthy, any writer's dream, if the psychosis isn't part of the riches. Tramell, into knives in the San Francisco original, developed a predilection to choke collars for this cosmopolitan sequel. The News reports a preoccupation with this dangerous sex game amongst our teenaged, sexually active citizens. Those scenes will definitely shock anyone who knows someone fatally lost to this fad. Unless those scenes demonstrated how to do it correctly and safely, the depictions were gratuitous, considering these very youngsters are the demographic most coveted by producers who want a good box office, and failing that, excellent DVD sales. Poor Doc loved it, which only followed, after where he'd gone already.
  
I avoid, as much as possible, any hints about the movie before I go watch it, as it takes a lot of the wonder away from the lights-going-down-anticipation. Trailers catch me out sometimes, though not often, as I enjoy the fast-forward button on all my remotes, and movie trailers (unless they are for a film by the same studio) are not shown in press screenings. Apparently I should change up that routine for movie marked with an 'R' rating…just in case they actually mean XXX. After the screening, everyone was saying Stone was OK, hammy, gorgeous, wooden, lithe and alluring, sexy, not bad plastic surgery, really bad plastic surgery. The script was junk, too clever, never entertained or well done. How about that leave-you-hanging-ending? Not one person mentioned the load of muck included in Basic Instinct 2. They didn't seem as appalled as I was about the explicit sex. Between consenting adults, whatever. In a public auditorium, caught unawares, definitely not cricket. I've passed on better movies than this. Watching this lurid mess with near-strangers would not have been a personal choice.
  
 Sharon Stone, indeed the entire cast, did what was asked, said what was in the script. They are all good actors. David Morrissey played this hopelessly doomed victim of his own fantasies. Morrissey was a relative newcomer here in the US, born with sculpted good looks and a body to match. He also did an amazing job, again keeping in mind the constraints of the script and directing. Had Caton-Jones been on the stick, he would not have had the lower half of Morrissey's face in the final frames…I got from that last look an impression of believing I knew what really happened…which is only an impression of deductive reasoning, which is impossible with what we were shown. I also felt Mr. Caton-Jones could have put more effort into his direction—a few more takes does a better movie make. 
Photos copyright Sony Pictures Entertainment.
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