Traces of Red (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
A homicide detective in sunny Palm Beach, Florida, must track down a serial killer whose victims are somehow linked to him in 'Traces of Red' (a sexy thriller directed by Andy Wolk). Palm Beach - as our narrator tells us - is a place where everyone "leads 3 lives -- public, private & secret". This narrator is our lead character, anti-hero, Jack Dobson (James Belushi), a cop who - not unlike William Holden at the start of 1950's Sunset Boulevard - is shown to be dead via gunshot in the very 1st scene. Before his death, Dobson had moved easily among the various sets of folks in the world of Palm Beach.
While his brother, Michael (William Russ) prepares to serious run for a political office, Dobson prefers to keep a low profile; great at solving crimes & making love to Palm Beach's beauties. His partner, Steve (Tony Goldwyn, of Ghost), who is happily married, sometimes wonders about Dobson's lifestyle, not to mention his bewildering lack of discretion. One of Dobson's recent lovers is Ellen (Lorraine Bracco, of The Dream Team & Goodfellas); an upper-crust, enigmatic blonde from NY who now lives in one of those fabulous Palm Beach mansions. She gets wicked jealous when she sees Dobson leaving a parking lot with a waitress and, before you long ... the waitress ends up murdered -- complications arise from there.
Is Ellen a suspect? Did she do it? What about Dobson, himself? Palm Beach must now brace itself for a serial killer that is on the loose. With clever detective work, Dobson discovers that the killer always departs the scene of the crimes with his victim's clothes; uses a particular brand of lipstick on the victims; and uses a daisy-wheel printer with a damaged "L" & "D". As the plot thickens, Dobson starts to question the motives of allll those closest to him; even seemingly inconsequential characters. Who kills Dobson by the end of the film? More deaths {some a surprise, some standard}, shocking revelations, & a CRAZY twist ensues.
So, I remember watching this as a 12 yr. old in Florida with my dad & stepmom as a Blockbuster rental one steamy summer night and, my reaction to the film is almost totally based on that viewing. It is an erotic {sort of} thriller, the likes of another film of a similar ilk that would come out 2 yrs. later that, I believe, I also watched with my family in Florida, Bruce Willis' Color of Night. What I remember best about 'Traces of Red' was the striking opening sequence; the moody, jazzy music score; being bewitched by Lorraine Bracco's bizarre, kinda vacuous 'is she stoned, or isn't she?' portrayal of the femme fatale; the series of creepy murders; and the holyyyyy crap final 15 minutes, in which the revelations & shocks cascade like the water from Niagara Falls.
Now, not everything in this plot makes sense. The 'killer' in this film is clever beyond comprehension; in somehow knowing how each character will act en route to either their demise, or them 'figuring things out'. Ultimately, the characters in this film are more pawns within the convoluted narrative than they are flesh & blood people to care about; they are decently acted requirements of the plot -- that's all.
But I really can't hate on the movie too much. I have fond memories of watching it IN Palm beach with my family. The visual aesthetic, while not as stunning as Basic Instinct from the same year, contains - at least - some fantastic panoramic views of Palm Beach. 'Traces of Red' is your basic 'whodunit' with sex, murder, & kept me guessing 'til the very end. Sure, a 2nd viewing might be necessary to straighten everything out in your head ... but a great movie shouldn't require that to happen.
While his brother, Michael (William Russ) prepares to serious run for a political office, Dobson prefers to keep a low profile; great at solving crimes & making love to Palm Beach's beauties. His partner, Steve (Tony Goldwyn, of Ghost), who is happily married, sometimes wonders about Dobson's lifestyle, not to mention his bewildering lack of discretion. One of Dobson's recent lovers is Ellen (Lorraine Bracco, of The Dream Team & Goodfellas); an upper-crust, enigmatic blonde from NY who now lives in one of those fabulous Palm Beach mansions. She gets wicked jealous when she sees Dobson leaving a parking lot with a waitress and, before you long ... the waitress ends up murdered -- complications arise from there.
Is Ellen a suspect? Did she do it? What about Dobson, himself? Palm Beach must now brace itself for a serial killer that is on the loose. With clever detective work, Dobson discovers that the killer always departs the scene of the crimes with his victim's clothes; uses a particular brand of lipstick on the victims; and uses a daisy-wheel printer with a damaged "L" & "D". As the plot thickens, Dobson starts to question the motives of allll those closest to him; even seemingly inconsequential characters. Who kills Dobson by the end of the film? More deaths {some a surprise, some standard}, shocking revelations, & a CRAZY twist ensues.
So, I remember watching this as a 12 yr. old in Florida with my dad & stepmom as a Blockbuster rental one steamy summer night and, my reaction to the film is almost totally based on that viewing. It is an erotic {sort of} thriller, the likes of another film of a similar ilk that would come out 2 yrs. later that, I believe, I also watched with my family in Florida, Bruce Willis' Color of Night. What I remember best about 'Traces of Red' was the striking opening sequence; the moody, jazzy music score; being bewitched by Lorraine Bracco's bizarre, kinda vacuous 'is she stoned, or isn't she?' portrayal of the femme fatale; the series of creepy murders; and the holyyyyy crap final 15 minutes, in which the revelations & shocks cascade like the water from Niagara Falls.
Now, not everything in this plot makes sense. The 'killer' in this film is clever beyond comprehension; in somehow knowing how each character will act en route to either their demise, or them 'figuring things out'. Ultimately, the characters in this film are more pawns within the convoluted narrative than they are flesh & blood people to care about; they are decently acted requirements of the plot -- that's all.
But I really can't hate on the movie too much. I have fond memories of watching it IN Palm beach with my family. The visual aesthetic, while not as stunning as Basic Instinct from the same year, contains - at least - some fantastic panoramic views of Palm Beach. 'Traces of Red' is your basic 'whodunit' with sex, murder, & kept me guessing 'til the very end. Sure, a 2nd viewing might be necessary to straighten everything out in your head ... but a great movie shouldn't require that to happen.