film: review

> ORIGINAL SIN (2001)
If this film was cut down to only about 20 minutes and the sound was muted it could have been decent.

By John C. Lyons
Film Critic

Starring: Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie

Directed by: Michael Cristofer

Written by: Cornell Woolrich (novel) and Michael Cristofer

Genre: Possibly "Romance" or "Thriller"

Our Rating: 2 out of 10

This film was TERRIBLE. Do not see this movie. If you have any kind of respect for Antonio Banderas and especially Angelina Jolie (who has actually won an Oscar) you do not want to see Original Sin. I am going to assume that it was the adaptation of this movie that really sucked and not the original material by Cornell Woolrich (which I have not read). At any rate, this film was extremely dull, silly, and boring as all hell. Rent Basic Instinct again and see how a movie like this is supposed to be made.

If they hadn't gotten Banderas and Jolie, this could have easily been a straight to video release. They are the only selling point of the film. They spend most of the film looking pretty and making eyes at the camera, and that's about it. Sure there is some sex, and even a bit of nudity, but I would recommend downloading the clips off the Internet somewhere if that is all you are going to see the movie for. The last 10 minutes were actually pretty decent (or maybe that was just because the film was ending) but the first 110 minutes were horrid.

The director of Original Sin, Michael Cristofer, is a writer. Writing is what he does, and looking over his credits I see that maybe he isn't so great at that either. His only directing credit prior to this film I believe is Gia, which really opened everyone's eyes to Angelina Jolie. Jolie probably chose this movie to return the favor, but let's hope she doesn't have any more favors to return so that we don't start thinking her Academy Award was a fluke. Trust me on this one, the material here is shit; it is just packaged in a pretty box. When people are sighing, leaving, and shining their laser pointers (which, sadly, got more attention than the movie) during the film you know you are in a piece of Hollywood trash. At least I saw this at the $1 theater.

I saw this film at the Millcreek 6 theaters at the Millcreek Mall.

PROs: Cast

CONs: Everything else

(01-0827)

related links:

Original Sin - official site