Passion

Brian De Palma's English-language remake of the late Alain Corneau's French psychological thriller Love Crime hews fairly close to the original scenario about a battle between two women in the corporate boardroom that turns into something disturbingly personal. But De Palma still makes significant alterations—largely setting the tale in a Berlin advertising agency, which allows for some cheeky commercials, while also emphasizing the lesbian undertones that were muted in the earlier film. Serving up his trademark weird camera angles, elaborate tracking shots, and split screens—including an astonishing sequence juxtaposing a gruesome murder with a ballet performance—De Palma introduces a number of shocks and twists into this gleefully overripe story featuring over-the-top performances from Rachel McAdams as high-level exec Christine, and Noomi Rapace as newcomer Isabelle, as they engage in a power struggle. Passion is ultimately a prime example of the proverbial guilty pleasure—an essentially bad film that is nonetheless perversely enjoyable—one that also represents an exhilarating return by De Palma to the stylish extravagance of his early career. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include interviews with director Brian De Palma and costars Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace (7 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for a characteristically stylish De Palma film.] (F. Swietek)