Search - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion on DVD

Allen Scores With "Scorpion"

Reviewer | 02/19/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Doing a period piece seems to put Woody Allen at the top of his game, possibly because he has the intrinsic ability to capture a specific time and place and make a truly transporting experience out of it. Which is exactly what he's done with "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion," which he not only wrote and directed, but stars in, as well. Set in 1940, it's the story of CW Briggs (Allen), an investigator for an insurance company which, despite the exemplary achievements of CW has been slipping at the bottom line, forcing the company's exec., Chris Magruder (Dan Aykroyd), to call upon the services of an efficiency expert, Betty Ann Fitzgerald (Helen Hunt). But there's a problem right from the start, in that CW and Betty Ann simply do not hit it off. And the situation is quickly exacerbated when a rash of thefts-- involving millions of dollars worth of jewelry and goods-- begins to occur among clients for whom the company has installed security systems. An inside job is suspected, and to CW's chagrin, more outside help is brought in. So now CW has to contend with that, as well as his new nemesis, Betty Ann; and the way he sees it, there's only one way to fix it all: Solve the case. And with that, the hunt is on... Character and dialogue driven, Allen's film is loaded with atmosphere and detail that really puts you in the story; you can almost feel Bogart's presence in such films as "The Big Sleep" and "The Maltese Falcon," the spirits of which permeate this film. The dialogue is snappy and clever-- some of Allen's best ever-- and he presents it all in a way that sustains interest and makes it thoroughly involving and entertaining. In fact, it's the ongoing banter between CW and Betty Ann that really makes this one click, and it's perfectly delivered, with timing by Allen and Hunt that is right on the mark. This is the most screen time Allen has had, himself, in some time, and he's good; his trademark neurotic groping-for-a-word delivery is tempered and finely tuned, which makes his character entirely credible. Allen is looking older, but he's growing into his age well, and actually has a much less disheveled appearance here than usual, which has seemingly been an innate trait of his regardless of the role he's playing. And, though there have been films of his that one could say simply had too much "Woody" in them, that is not the case here. It's a good performance, his scenes with Hunt are alive, and he has some moments with Charlize Theron that are even better. Hunt does a great job, too; Betty Ann is a bit like her Darcy McGuire in "What Women Want," but with a harder, more intimidating edge that works well for this character. She manages to make Betty Ann both feminine and feminist at the same time, reminiscent of some of the characters that Davis, Crawford and Stanwyck played so successfully in films past. There's some obvious chemistry at work in her scenes with Allen-- the one in which they are hypnotized is hilarious-- but it's absent in her screen time with Aykroyd, though it may have more to do with their respective characters than anything. And it's refreshing to see a strong female character to whom Allen's character can relate on a personal level that, though it involves conflict, is devoid of his typically neurotic and paranoid responses. They may not like each other, but CW at least relates to Betty Ann in a very straightforward manner. It has to do with the way the characters were written, of course, but part of it is in the way Hunt transfers the Betty Ann found on the page into a real person. One of the highlights of this film is the performance by Charlize Theron, in which, as Laura Kensington, she is transformed into the second coming of Lauren Bacall. Laura is the epitome of the femme fatale, in the way she looks, speaks and moves; you keep waiting for her to say "You know how to whistle, don't you Steve?" It's a supporting role that actually affords Theron comparatively little screen time, but she makes the most of it, and she is certainly a memorable asset to the film. Also effective in a small, but pivotal role, is David Ogden Stiers, as Volton, a part that would have been so perfect for the late Orson Welles. In the absence of Welles, however, Stiers does a very commendable job. Allen put together a terrific supporting cast for this one, including John Schuck (Mize), Elizabeth Berkley (Jill), Wallace Shawn (George), John Tormey (Sam), Kaili Vernoff (Rosie), Brian Markinson (Al) and Peter Gerety (Ned). There's an inspired precision to this film, in the way Allen blends the story, characters and music (such a big part of creating that necessary atmosphere) that makes "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion" something of a minor classic in the Allen canon. Aficionados of the classic films of this period will be especially delighted with this one, but anyone who appreciates a film that is well crafted and delivered and provides some solid entertainment will be satisfied, as well. Allen geared this film to a specific audience (albeit fairly wide), and for those who fall within it's parameters, it's right on target. One has to wonder, though, why he didn't film it in glorious black & white, which would have been so perfect. But taken as it is, it's still a part of the magic of the movies."

Good film

musicfan | australia | 09/07/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a good film. The attention to detail in set design is excellent and the dialogue is witty. Perhaps more could have been made of the relationship between Woody's character and that of Charlie Therzon. They cerainly seem to have more of an onscreen electricity than Allen and Hunt. Hunt looks like she was dissapointed she wasn't in a more introspective Allen movie with a bit more weight, rather than a funny, period piece. Still the movie is very watchable and certainly deserving of more than the one and a half stars it was given in the all movie guiide."