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Body Heat is a 1981 neo-film noir written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. It stars William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson, J. A. Preston and Mickey Rourke.
Ned Racine (Hurt), a small-town Florida lawyer, becomes entangled with Matty Walker (Turner), who is plotting to murder her husband (Crenna) and collect his insurance money. Racine's best friend, tap-dancing District Attorney Peter Lowenstein (Danson) is hot on the couple's trail.
Body Heat may be cited as an example of postmodern pastiche, as its sets are an intentional mix of visual eras.
A substantial portion of the film was shot in downtown Lake Worth, Florida; and in the oceanside enclave of Manalapan. Both communities are located in east-central Palm Beach County, Florida.
Taglines:
- It's a hot summer. Ned Racine is waiting for something special to happen. And when it does... He won't be ready for the consequences.
- She taught him everything she knew - about passion and murder.
- As the temperature rises, the suspense begins.
Critical reaction
The film received positive reviews when it was released in 1981. Most reviewers, like Roger Ebert, compared the film favorably to film noir of the past:
"Yes, Lawrence Kasdan's Body Heat (1981) is aware of the films that inspired it--especially Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity (1944). But it has a power that transcends its sources. It exploits the personal style of its stars to insinuate itself; Kael is unfair to Turner, who in her debut role played a woman so sexually confident that we can believe her lover (William Hurt) could be dazed into doing almost anything for her. The moment we believe that, the movie stops being an exercise and starts working." *
As mentioned by Ebert, film critic Pauline Kael dismissed the film, citing its "insinuating, hotted-up dialogue that it would be fun to hoot at if only the hushed, sleepwalking manner of the film didn't make you cringe or yawn."
Memorable quote
- "You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man."
External links
"Body Heat"