Isabelle (Noomi Rapace) is an assistant to advertising executive Christine (Rachel McAdams). Usually having a strong relationship, this is soured when Christine takes credit for one of Isabelle’s ideas. Beginning a personal vendetta with each other, the women’s actions quickly turn dangerous. Secrets, lies and murder rise to the surface with only one person surviving the looming deadly battle.
Always a very exciting director, Brian DePalma delivers a great new production. Passion is a fine return to form to his earlier Alfred Hitchcock-like films. He is one of the few American directors successfully crafting erotic thrillers without making them seem sleazy. This is a stylish world in which his characters live with the glamour they revel in, masking their thunderously black hearts.
Passion has lots of juicy twists offering genuine surprises. As with his earlier works, such as Dressed to Kill and Body Double, DePalma uses a litany of visual tricks to keep you guessing. This makes for a movie demanding of attention and it’s to his credit he uses these to add more flourish to the story. Rapace and McAdams provide excellent performances, as do the rest of the strong cast.
Full of the sensual danger its title promises, Passion is one of DePalma’s best. One is grateful a director of his calibre is still as fearless as he was when he started out. His latest is highly recommended.
Reviewed by Patrick Moore
Rating out of 10: 9
Out on Blu-ray and DVD 28 August 2013
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