Crimes of Passion (film)
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| Crimes of Passion | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Ken Russell |
| Written by | Barry Sandler |
| Starring | Kathleen Turner Anthony Perkins |
| Release date(s) | 1984 |
| Running time | 107 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Crimes of Passion is a film released in 1984 and directed by Ken Russell. It starred Kathleen Turner, Anthony Perkins Annie Potts and John Laughlin.
[edit] Plot summary
The film begins with Bobby Grady, a private investigator (Laughlin) in a therapy session. His marriage is in trouble, mostly because his wife Amy (Potts) has a much lower sex drive.
The audience then sees China Blue (Turner), a prostitute, "engaged" with a client doing a Miss Congeniality imitation. This is followed by a scene with a Pentecostal minister, Reverend Peter Shayne (Perkins) sniffing amyl nitrate at a peep show. Rev. Shayne follows this up by setting up a soapbox on the street and rather unconvincingly shouting an anti-sex sermon.
In the meantime, Grady is hired by the owner of a fashion design house to spy upon employee Joanna Crane, whom he suspects of selling patterns to his competitor. Grady does his surveillance, and while he finds no proof Crane is selling patterns, he does discover Crane is none other than China Blue! He tells the owner there is nothing to the pattern-selling charges, but says nothing about Crane's double life...and decides to start seeing her himself.
Rev. Shayne has started seeing China Blue on a regular basis. China seems (at first) more amused by her client than anything else. At one point he says "Save your soul, whore!" to which she replies, nonchalantly, "Save your money, shithead."
Grady, frustrated by his wife's lack of interest, starts seeing China Blue. It all goes very well at first, but the two start developing feelings for each other. Their last session ends in an argument. This leaves China feeling depressed. However a session with an older man whose wife is trying to get him sexually active again inspires her - she even reveals her real name to the older couple in gratitude.
Rev. Shayne is getting more and more bizarre, to the point where he carries a sharpened dildo he nicknames "Superman" and having disturbingly violent fantasies. China no longer wishes to do business with him, but Rev. Shayne, believing he and China are similar, forces her into one more session.
Grady, who's become worried about China and concerned about Rev. Shayne's interest, decides to see her one more time. He arrives just in time to see, apparently, Rev. Shayne stabbing China with the dildo. He wrestles the Reverend to the ground only to discover it's none other than China minus her blonde wig. It is Rev. Shayne, now mortally wounded, that is wearing China's wig and dress. He says a quick farewell to China before dying.
The film ends with Bobby Grady addressing his group therapist about his new relationship with a woman named Joanna Crane.
