Madonna: A Case of Blood Ambition

My review was written in September 1990 after watching the film on Atlas video cassette.

"Madonna" is an engrossing thriller about a beautiful woman's revenge. Direct-to-video feature from Canada could drum up interest beyond its catchy title.

Title refers to femme fatale Deborah Mansy's real name, Francesca Madonna Leone. Calling herself Laura, Mansy is on a tear killing off the jurors who found her dad guilty several years back of raping a child. Implication in the gradually unfolding plot is that Laura was also abused but has developed an insane attachment to daddy and to avenge him.

After a prolog detailing her latest victim, film dwells on Laura's ruining the life of ad man Eric Kramer, for whom she is posing as a model in a perfume campaign. Her real target is Karmer's wife, Pacale Devigny, who served on the jury.

Based on a novel by Ed Kelleher and Harritette Vidal, "Madonna" has a very interesting storyline which works quite well until some hurried contrivances in the final reel. Casting coup has Kramer juggling two women, Mansy and Devigny, who are quite similar-looking beauties, which serves to build audience identification with his tale. Kramer, who looks like film critic Jeffrey Lyons, does a good job with what is a very unsympathetic character (who turns against his wife and son rather quickly).

As Madonna/Laura, Mansy is a find and should be heard from again in glamorous roles.

Tech credits are modest, with the wintry locale not matching the hot spirits of the characters.