Friday 4 April 2014

3 - Poison Ivy (1992)

Connection To BATMAN & ROBIN - you see what I did there, you see that film had a character called Poison Ivy and this film is called... (no need to spell it out boy)

Poison Ivy was released in 1992, when Drew Barrymore was still in her wild child years - she wasn't little Gertie anymore - and it's fair to say most of her films from this time period are not her best work, however I'd say Poison Ivy because of the erotic elements is probably her best remembered - though I wouldn't quite say it's an erotic thriller, it's not necessarily the Barrymore film to watch for your T&A (the awful Doppelganger probably as a scene more suited).

Poison Ivy opens with the narration of Sylvie (Sara Gilbert) watching "Ivy" on a swing commenting on her slutness then her own comments about sexuality saying she is not a lesbian, and contemplates her sexuality before saying she told her mother to get a reaction, this opening scene takes on new meaning in the years after when Gilbert came out (and only just a few weeks ago got married).

I mentioned this opening narration mostly because it keeps a interesting thing over the movie, perhaps Sylvie really is confused about her sexuality and it adds proceedings and lets Ivy get away with more then she would otherwise - the two girls became friends and Ivy seems to move in with the family - an illness stricken mother (Cheryl Ladd) and the father (Tom Skerritt) who is a TV personality on the verge of fading.

The dad of course shares inappropriate glances on the young woman, before Ivy's true intentions come to light - which ends up with with Ivy seducing the father (the love scene in the rain on the car is well done) and then later SPOILER Ivy kills the mother in what appears to look like a suicide (the mother had shown those tendencies earlier) END OF SPOILER

I think the film's strength is the main relationship between the two lead girls and also the fact Ivy is never portrayed OTT in her misdeeds and it seems she really is trying to make it a family in her own insane way.

I wouldn't say it's a great film but it's a better film then it seems to have any right to be, it could have gone down the way of being completely soft-core but the characters at least are well written enough. Drew Barrymore excels in her role and Gilbert deserved to get a few more bigger roles then has. Enjoyable.

No comments:

Post a Comment