Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION (2001)

‘Never trust a woman who whistles for her own cabs.’

What’s the best use of Sunday afternoon than watching Woody entertainer! Old and experienced insurance investigator C W Briggs’ twenty years position is threatened by six months old gorgeous smart reporter Betty Ann Fitzgerald. They both hate each other from the very first moment but a magical hypnotism spell with the jade scorpion in a nightclub turned them into loving married couple on honeymoon for few fragmentary moments, the fragile fantasy broken within moments and they’re back to their rivalry in reality. But the hypnotism spell returns to Briggs at night with the caller’s magic word compelling him to jewel burglary. Next morning he wakes up to his usual self, unaware about his own crime investigating the robbery case. The cycle is repeated and poor Briggs snooping around Betty’s personal life. And there’s lot more things to watch forward.

It’s absolute fun to watch Woody is in his own films. He is in his usual self- an obsessive megalomaniac wisecracker supported by his boss played by Don Aykroyd and three pretty damsels-Helen Hunt, Charlize Theron and Elizabeth Berkley. The film has some of the finest Woody repartees i.e.-

Laura: I have a strawberry birthmark on my thigh. Want to see it?

C. W. Briggs- Sure, when can I take the full tour?

One can also witness Woody’s strong fascination for those classic B&W noirs here- private detective spying and investigating, damsels here in appearance and behavior resembles more like femme fatales, the film is shot at night with low key lights. Even Woody once told that the film was one of his ambitious projects. Like many of his films- he finely blended fantasy romance punctured by hard reality. ‘Constantinople’ and ‘Madagascar’ never seems so romantic and magical words!

Ratings-7.5/10

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