A Crime of Passion

Though on the surface this is a fairly routine made for TV murder mystery about a wealthy medical doctor who is a widower falling for a pretty stripper who reminds him of his deceased wife, it works best as a psychological character study of a tormented topless dancer who wants more out of life that she has experienced, including world travel and a respectable family. When all this is thwarted by her husband's snobby friends, his older daughter's rejection, and nostalgia for her old lifestyle, she seeks a vent for her frustrations. I know of no Hollywood film that successfully deals with prostitution or stripping in a realistic way. "Pretty Woman" was a successful glamorization of the world's oldest profession, bearing no resemblance to the real world of the high-class call girl. At least this film does try (without complete success) to actually get inside the mind and heart of a typical stripper. What it finds there is a ball of confusion between what is and what could be. The acting is top of the line for a TV movie, with standout performances by many of the supporting actors. The music to strip by could have been better. Prince's "Darling Nikki" by the Foo Fighters or something comparable would have created a more realistic atmosphere. But all in all a very worthwhile flick.