Original Sin (2001)

A woman, along with her lover, plans to con a rich man by marrying him, earning his trust, and then running away with all his money. Everything goes as planned until she falls in love with him.

Director:

Michael Cristofer

Writers:

Cornell Woolrich (novel), Michael Cristofer (screenplay)

Stars:

Antonio Banderas, Angelina Jolie, Thomas Jane

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

When a man selects a mail order bride, he is surprised to see the beauty who appears before him. She alleges that she sent false photos to him to assure that he would love her for what she is and not for her beauty. However, what she is is a con artist, prostitute, and actress, who teams with a fellow actor to steal money from men. What she does not expect is that she falls in love with her new husband and ultimately must decide between him and her sadistic former lover. Contains explicit sex including sadistic acts as Thomas Jane cuts Jolie's back with a knife as part of their lovemaking.

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Plot Keywords:

sex scene | erotica | mail order bride | passionate sex | prisoner | 

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Taglines:

Loves a Killer.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content and some violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title was changed to avoid confusion with Dancer in the Dark (2000).

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Goofs

When Luis and the maid find the dead bird, Luis' towel is inside the collar of his gown. In the next shot he turns around and the towel is outside.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Julia: You cannot walk away from love. That was the advertisement in a Baltimore newspaper. And that is how he found her.

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Alternate Versions

Approximately 4 minutes of sexually explicit material has been cut from cable showings, even on the late-night showings on non-commercial premium cable channels. Both R-rated and Unrated editions have been released on Region 1 DVD. The original theatrical release did contain explicit sex scenes, but as currently shown on cable, every time someone is about to go to bed with someone else, the scene fades out and returns to the same locale the next morning. In the original version, Julia's first sexual encounter with Luis is graphically shown, as is their encounter when he finds her in the hotel.

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Connections

Referenced in Midnight Screenings: Tulip Fever (2017)

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Soundtracks

Carnival Brass Band (AKA Comparsa (Conga))
Artist Unknown
Recorded in Santiago de Cuba by J.P. Tzaud
Courtesy of Sunset-France/Rounder Records

User Reviews

Surprisingly Good

I was pleasantly surprised at this film. Thinking it was more or less about Jolie's T&A, it actually had a decent plot with some twists and turns running throughout. I liked this film a lot. Her character had many levels that you didn't see coming. It seemed like a one dimensional character as most temptresses are, but Jolie was nothing of the sort. She attacked the role with her usual vigor and gave life to what could have been a meaningless character. Banderas was a little overdone I think, but it kinda makes sense with the lines he was given. Being all obsessed with his wife like that can make you seem overly dramatic. I'd recommend it.

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

France Mexico USA

Language:

English German Japanese Latin Spanish

Release Date:

3 August 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dancing in the Dark

Filming Locations:

Wapping Pierhead, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$42,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,402,741, 5 August 2001

Gross USA:

$16,534,221

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$35,402,320

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Hyde Park Entertainment, Via Rosa Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min 118 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1