Such a frustrating disappointment

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

I can't establish whether writer Barry Sandler got the idea for Crimes of Passion from the original Joe Orton theatrical pairing that went out under that title but several of the main ingredients are there including the crazed preacher, the prostitute and the 'normal' guy. I have discovered that Cher was at one time considered for the female lead and that Jeff bridges for the 'normal' guy. Things would have been a little different in that situation. As it is Kathleen Turner gives the bravest, boldest and most bravura performance as the part time prostitute with a passion for the unusual and Anthony Perkins gives, surely the scariest performance of his career. And yes, David Lynch or Dennis Hopper must have had a little look at this before making Blue Velvet. Ken Russell clearly had fun here and creates the most splendid neon drenched streets, sleazy character aplenty whilst encouraging Turner to give her all and Perkins to just let rip. Exciting, disturbing, silly, sexy and serious by turns, this is an extraordinary film that despite my mention of the Lynch film, truly stands alone even in comparison to the craziest creations in the wonderful world of cinema.

A sportswear designer leads a double life as a hooker named China Blue (Kathleen Turner). One of her clients, a man on the verge of divorce, decides he loves her and figures out who she is. He then begins wooing her, which she fights against since he was a client. Meanwhile a street preacher (Anthony Perkins) works the red light district trying to save souls.Allegedly, the male lead passed over Patrick Swayze and Jeff Bridges before landing on John Laughlin. Not that Laughlin does a bad job, but in retrospect this seems like an odd choice -- the movie would have had a more lasting impact with one of the other two.Although Kathleen Turner takes up most of the screen time, and really puts herself out there in these sexual situations, Perkins is the highlight of the film. He never shies away from pushing his own emotions, saying and acting in the most manic of manners. For an actor who made his name working with Hitchcock, he was never afraid to push the envelope in his career. Allegedly, the "poppers" we see him using on screen were real and he was indeed pumped up for much of the shoot.One aspect of the film that Ken Russell ought to be praised for is how strongly he suggests certain things but never shows them. For a film about American sexuality, there is surprisingly little nudity. Instead, he uses Japanese art to double for this, and presents an endless stream of suggestive -- but rarely explicit -- scenes. This is brilliant, and keeps the movie from becoming smut, despite its themes. Likewise, the violence is almost all psychological -- even a murder scene somewhat humorously uses a doll to avoid showing direct, human physical interaction. Russell and cinematographer Dick Bush do an excellent job of projecting character on to the actors through lighting. We have garish colors and neon lights for the scenes with China Blue, while the other scenes were more naturalistic light. There are clearly two worlds at play, and Kathleen Turner seamlessly goes from one to the other.On top of a beautiful 2K restoration, and the ability to watch either the cut or uncut version, the Arrow Video blu-ray comes packed with features. We have audio commentary with director Ken Russell and producer-screenwriter Barry Sandler, seven deleted/extended scenes with optional commentary by Sandler, a brand-new interview with Sandler, and a brand-new interview with composer Rick Wakeman. This is a must-own for any fan of Russell, Turner or especially Perkins.

This is one that I saved on my TiVo because it sounded interesting, but I didn't bother to watch it for months. Now that I did, I was drawn into the plot, and as I saw some of the interactions of the characters, I recognized the quirky style of Ken Russell. This is one of the reasons that he is one of my favorite directors. I had to come here to IMDb to verify that he is the director and now, after reading other reviews, I will NOT save the version that I have from TV, but will buy the best original cut. It is truly about how most people interact (except for Perkins character ;-) I could see this as a very erotic stimulus for many people in the romantic scenes, as it is for me.

Back in the 80's there was a lot of controversy surrounding this film. I remember hearing about a battle with the MPAA regarding the rating. MPAA wanted to give it an X rating so Russell had to edit it down in order to achieve an R rating.I was sixteen and a friend and I snuck into the theatre to see this. I wanted to know what the buzz was about. I was mesmerized and this film continues to exist in my top ten favorite films of all time (as is Tommy, another Ken Russell masterpiece). Tony Perkins has perfected the art of playing psychotic maniacs and his performance here is no exception. Turner, in her finest performance ever, sizzles up the screen as China Blue, a whore by night, fashion designer by day. She parades around in this satin blue dress in the red light district performing fantasies for kinky clients. The dialogue is incredibly witty and Turner and Perkins play so perfectly off each other. Perkins with his portable pedestal, bible and doctor bag full of sex toys (there is one in particular that will make your jaw drop).This is one of those love/hate films. You either love it or you hate it. I attempted to turn so many people onto this film. Some were so offended by the meshing of religion and sex that they couldn't get through the whole thing. Others, like me, loved it and can watch it repeatedly and continue to be amused by the script, the performances, the art direction.This film is indeed a piece of art. But art is subjective. So enter with an open mind.