Lady Beware

I just watched this film for the first time because I'm a fan of B-grade schlock that never so much as made a blip on the radar, and this film seemed to fit right into that category what with the straight to video release and the fact that no DVD has been made to date. Boy was I happily surprised instead to find a genuinely thrilling film with some acting that could put a ton of more successful (and higher budget) films to shame.

This is a stalker tale, starring Katya, a headstrong young woman (Diane Lane was 22 at the time and we've no reason to believe she's any older in the film) who's just moved away from her country home to the city to find work as a window-dresser. Her assertiveness gets her the job, and she somehow has the funds to afford as an apartment a single floor of a warehouse, which provides a unusual and somewhat dark setting for the film, and helps it's creepy nighttime atmosphere. Katya excels at her window dressing job by creating provocative and somewhat risqué displays which attract tons of attention for her store. As it turns out not all attention is positive as she also quickly gains a stalker in Jack (Michael Woods) and an admirer in Mac (Cotter Smith) a reporter who interviews her and writes an article on her work. Katya is far too empowered and independent to concern herself with the obscene phone calls she receives from a mysterious stranger (Jack) until he proves to be a legit stalker complete with all the sinister wiles necessary to successfully entrap her, both in mind and ever more threateningly, body. Jack spins his nefarious web, as the two characters whose worlds have been submerged in chaos vie for control in a dangerous sortie.

Though this is no novel concept, indeed it's a rather common one, the acting in this film, and the subtleties within make it far more striking and memorable than any like film I've ever seen. I'll also mention that this film though being in a specific sub-genre that has a reputation for being formulaic deliciously breaks from that formula, which is a reason to watch it in and of itself. The actor's abilities to express things subtly really makes the film more "real" if you will, and both Diane Lane and Michael Woods excel in their respective roles. Much like her window displays, Lane simply oozes eroticism just by being on camera, and Woods portrays hands-down the creepiest yet still believable stalker I've ever seen in a movie, which is erotic too in it's own perverse way. It's a shame this film didn't have more exposure or Woods might've been able to land roles more accrediting than Red Shoe Diaries though this film does showcase his forte for that type of role. Another thing I can vouch for; after seeing this film I am a Diane Lane fan for life. An actor's job is to make sure you don't know they're acting, and either Diane Lane IS Katya, or she's one of the best actresses I've ever had the pleasure of being fooled by. In either event she was amazing in this movie, completely perfect for the role, and I truly hope Diane Lane is proud of her performance. I dare say it might be the best I've seen from her, and I can only hope some contemporaries at the time saw it and thought as I did which may have helped her toward the greater fame she now possesses and deserves. Although, the straight to video release and somewhat seedy premise make it more likely that this film truly is just a hidden treasure still waiting to be discovered. Lady Beware was probably the best surprise I've had all year, and if you so much as have the gumption to even find and read this review, this is a must-see film for you, I doubt you'll regret it.

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.

Diane Lane finally gets a solid part in a pretty good picture; so often, Lane is stuck in unsuitable parts in rather lousy movies ("The Cotton Club", "Streets Of Fire"), so much so that her career nearly evaporated after a promising start. She's first-rate here playing big-city career girl dressing windows for a department store, intriguing a married man who becomes obsessed with her. Surprisingly subtle B-movie overcomes the minimal budget with smart writing and direction, good performances by all in the cast. Lane's converted warehouse digs uncomfortably reminds one of "Flashdance", but the revenge-angle in the second-half is clever and well-done; nicely attuned climax too, making its point without going over-the-top. **1/2 from ****

Katya Yano (Diane Lane) arrives at Horne's department store in Pittsburgh and convinces the owner to give her a job as a window display designer. "Your window displays are so boring," she says. She succeeds when she sets up the store mannequins in sexually provocative and kinky poses. Some folks are outraged like the fellow who screams "You can see her crotch." Of course it's just a mannequin. Anyway, the stores' sales dramatically increase. Meanwhile, there is an erotic dream sequence by which Katya has sex with a male mannequin who comes to life. Later in real life she exposes her ample breasts to her lover, Mac Odell (Cotter Smith). Along the way Mac Odell somehow disappears from the movie and never reappears for the denouement.

The attention arouses the passions of Jack Price (Michael Woods), a lab technician who becomes obsessed with the vulnerable single woman who lives downtown in a loft apartment in an older, spacious brick building. Price continually harasses the young woman by making obscene telephone calls. He also breaks into her apartment and sniffs things. Somehow the police are powerless. Despite the constant stalking, Price has not been a murderer, and there are no killings as 1980s movies like "Dressed to Kill" (1980), "Dead Aim" (1987)," and "Night Game" (1989).

Eventually Katya decides to fight back on her own. No spoilers are provided here, but there are two strange scenes along the way. One shows the stalker somehow getting on top of Katya's building and using just a single rope manages to squeeze through an open window to enter Katya's place. No one notices anything. The other scene shows Katya, alone and unarmed, purposely confronting Price at night in the city. No backup? What was she thinking? It is true that the constant stalking has distressed her, but her action is off the wall. All in all, though, the movie never loses interest.

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.