Original Sin (2001)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Michael Cristofer

Writers (WGA):

Cornell Woolrich (novel)
Michael Cristofer (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 August 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Obsession. Lies. Desire. Lust...

Plot:

A young man is plunged into a life of subterfuge, deceit and mistaken identity in pursuit of a femme fatale whose heart is never quite within his grasp.

Plot Keywords:

Coffee | Bank Account | Bride | Confession | Femme Fatale

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Antonio Banderas	...	Luis Antonio Vargas
Angelina Jolie	...	Julia Russell / Bonny Castle
Thomas Jane	...	Billy / Walter Downs / Mephisto
Jack Thompson	...	Alan Jordan
Gregory Itzin	...	Colonel Worth
Allison Mackie	...	Augusta Jordan
Joan Pringle	...	Sara
Cordelia Richards	...	Emily Russell
James Haven	...	Faust - Stage
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.	...	Jorge Cortés (as Pedro Armendáriz)
Mario Iván Martínez	...	Cuban Priest
Harry Porter	...	Stage Manager
Fernando Torre Laphame	...	Wedding Priest (as Fernando Torre Lapham)
Shaula Vega	...	Dressmaker Girl
Lisa Owen	...	Margareta - Stage

Also Known As:

Dancing in the Dark (USA) (working title)
Péché originel (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content and some violence.

Runtime:

116 min | USA:118 min (unrated version)

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English | German | Japanese | Latin | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia) (Canadian Home Video rating) | Portugal:M/12 (R rated version) | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Belgium:KNT | Brazil:16 | France:U | Germany:16 (bw) | Hong Kong:III | Hungary:16 | Japan:R-18 | Netherlands:16 | Peru:14 | Philippines:R-18 | Poland:18 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | Singapore:R21 (re-rating) (uncut) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R (No. 37331) (edited version) | USA:Unrated | Malaysia:(Banned)

Filming Locations:

Estudios Churubusco Azteca, Mexico City, México D.F., Mexico

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Some footage had to be cut in order to avoid an "NC-17" rating.

Goofs:

Continuity: The level of the coffee in the cups drops while Bonny is carrying them to Luis.

Quotes:

Julia: You did not want a woman to be interested in you just because you owned a pretty bank account.
Luis: Um, yes.
Julia: Yes. Well, then we have something in common. We are both not to be trusted.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Indie Sex: Censored (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Souvenir de la Havane

One of the better "Erotic Thrillers"

The film's plot, script, and acting are only average, but the film is buoyed by some sizzling chemistry between Jolie and Banderas. Their sex scenes are extremely memorable, so make sure you get an un-edited version (unrated).

Banderas plays a wealthy Cuban coffee farmer whose dedication to his trade has thus-far distracted him from the important business of finding a good wife. Using a matchmaker, he agrees to marry a woman from Connecticuit. He has been dishonest, however, in describing himself as a man of only average means. Banderas admits his dishonesty to his new wife (Jolie). However, it soon becomes clear that there is more to her than meets the eye, as well. Soon Banderas becomes so obsessed with Jolie that her lies destroy his entire life. He is well aware of what is happening every step of the way, but he doesn't care.

So, this is an interesting movie for a few reasons. As stated above, the sex scenes are among the best ever filmed. It is also novel to see a film about a man who is actually obsessed about his own wife. I personally could identify with Banderas in his willingness to give up everything for woman he knows he cannot trust. Heck, it happens to the best of us.