Body of Evidence

Madonna isn't merely the prime suspect in the scandalous murder of a millionaire with kinky appetites; she's the murder weapon itself in this erotic thriller in the Basic Instinct mode. The art gallery owner by day and icy-blond dominatrix by night is accused of, shall we say, "loving" her victim to death, and Willem Dafoe is the happily married lawyer she lures into the dark thrills of pleasure and pain. The actual mystery is perfunctory at best and the absurd courtroom theatrics a mere formality in a film far more fascinated with sweaty sex, hot wax, and broken glass. Madonna isn't shy about her body and seems to enjoy the games her character plays, but she's no Sharon Stone; there's no danger smoldering behind her seduction. Like her notorious book Sex, this is a handsomely shot work of pure exhibitionism. --Sean Axmaker