Bound (The Wachowskis, 1996): Prince Charles Cinema, 8.30pm
This is the first film in the 'Undone: Women of the Erotic Thriller' season at the Prince Charles Cinema (full details here). The curation was by Abby Spira and the movies are presented in partnership with the National Film & Television School.
Season introduction: Sex and danger. The linkage has always existed in Hollywood, but it wasn’t until the late 80s and 90s that the association was made so explicit with the boom of the erotic thriller. Often demeaned as schlocky and exploitative, the genre highlighted societal fears and anxieties about women and their sexuality. Unsurprisingly, most films were directed by men, but across the decade, some select women could get their version of the genre onto the big screen. This season celebrates that. Over the course of four films, we will look at the women behind and in front of the camera who used this genre to explore both the fears of erotic desires of women. Let’s bring the Prince Charles back to its roots and make it sexy again.
Chicago Reader review:
The Wachowskis, who scripted Assassins, wrote and directed this
adroit and sexy 1996 crime thriller about the hot romance between a
gangster’s moll (Jennifer Tilly) and the ex-con who’s her neighbor (Gina
Gershon). Eventually they concoct an elaborate scam to rip off the
gangster (Joe Pantoliano)—a money launderer for the mob who temporarily
has a couple million dollars. (The laundering here involves literally
washing blood off bills.) This gets very suspenseful (as well as fairly
gruesome) in spots, and if it never adds up to anything profound, it’s
still a welcome change to have a lesbian couple as the chief
identification figures.
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Here (and above) is the trailer.
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