Search - Blue Seduction on DVD

Can a woman be a rapist?

R. Pierotti | Kansas, USA | 11/27/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Blue Seduction is a film that basically delivers what it promises, however, what it promises is not all that much. The basic premise is that a young and talented woman comes on to an older man with sort of reputation in order to advance her own career. Then it appears to turn into a new twist on the Fatal Attraction theme, that is a woman who has an affair with a married man, who subsequently forces herself into the man's life after he tries to end the relationship. The difference is that Blue Seduction goes much farther on this theme than Fatal attraction dared to, however, viewers should be comforted in that no bunnies are boiled. Although Billy Zane, who most people remember as Kate Winslet's Snidely Whiplash-like fiance from Titanic, is nominally the star of this film, the real presence is Canadian actress Estella Warren, who plays the assertive, pushy and talented young woman who drives the story. Warren seems to be reprising April Troost, the seductive sociopath she portrayed in a couple of episodes of the Law and Order TV consortium. Like the dangerous, but alluring, Ms. Troost, Warren's character, here called Mattie McPherson, plays men like so many fiddles, exploiting the fact that virtually any man will jump into bed with a beautiful woman who comes on to him, even if major negative consequences may ensue. (possible spoiler alert) Mattie is an unusually assertive woman who forces herself sexually on Zane's character, Mikey, on several occasions throughout the film, even though he keeps telling both himself and insisting to Mattie that he cannot keep doing this. I don't think I have ever seen a scene quite like the one in which Mattie ties Mikey to a chair, has her way with him, and then discusses their relationship while sitting on him as if he were a La-Z Boy. Speaking of lazy boys, Zane plays his part in two basic modes: catatonic and hysterical. Mikey is one of the least sympathetic victims I have seen in a film, because not only does he lack will power, he seems to lack any talent or integrity. For a person portraying a musician, he seems to have no ability to even fake playing a musical instrument. In contrast, Warren's Mattie seems to be very talented, both as a singer and a songwriter. Warren does her own singing in this film and reveals a good, if not overpowering vocal talent for smoky, rock/pop flavored vocals. After a while the viewer finds themselves asking why this highly talented and lovely woman would bother to waste her time on a talentless hack like Mikey. The climax resolves this question in an unusual fashion, and actually explains a number of conundrums that will annoy the perceptive viewer and make them think this film is worse than it is. With a real actor as a leading man this could have been a really good film, but Zane is such a limited and unappealing (although physically attractive) actor that you leave the film wondering why you bothered to spend 90 minutes watching this clown. In any case, watching Blue Seduction will allow the viewer to answer that troubling question, "Can a woman actually rape a man?""