Lady Beware

I find this movie every few years and watch it again. Something about it is haunting. Diane Lane makes the whole movie. Her New York loft is a crucial piece of the plot - almost another character. The males characters are fine but she's divine.

This movie definitely has a Grade B feel to it. Diane Lane is only "star" actor in here and she wasn't that big a name in '87 anyway. The story is sleazy one about a window dresser (Lane) who displays almost-pornographic displays with her window mannequins.

These semi-erotic dressing attract a stalker to Lane and that's where the suspense come in....good suspense, to be fair. Lane is great to ogle and is not modest in showing herself to us. Actually, this film seems to be only a vehicle or an excuse for the pretty actress to show off her breasts. Otherwise, it's standard "B" fare, because the story sure isn't much.

The only reason to watch this movie is to see Diane Lane naked. There are 4 or 5 scenes where you, along with the stalker and her lover, get to see Diane's breasts and beautiful body. Basically the movie sucks! Diane's character is a sexually frustrated working woman who gets stalked by an admirer who is very disturbed. She has an erotic dreams about her work and bathes in her studio apt. with no shades. She gets bothered by the stalking and can't really have sex with anyone she's seeing. She almost does after stripping down for her lover, but can't quite do it. Oh, well. You still got to see this outstanding actress shed her clothes. That's the only reason to watch this one.

Despite some plot implausibilities and a mildly excessive running time, this is an interesting erotic thriller that will maintain your attention with its solid acting and its straightforward directing. The villain here is a married man and a doctor, which only makes the contrast between his "normal" life and his perverse side much more sharp. If you're looking for a thriller centered on sexual fixation, this may not be your only choice, but it is among the good ones. (**1/2)

Diane Lane is a window dresser whose life is turned upside down by an obsessed stalker. The suspense in this dark tale rises to a fever pitch over a series of increasingly threatening incidents. The cinematography is stark and, though in color, has the feel of earlier film noir suspense.