As much as I tend to prioritize mood and style in my reviews, those characteristics aren't everything to me. And a good example of why is Crimes of Passion, a sleazy boundary-pusher with great aesthetics and, in my opinion, not much else.
Texturally, this thing really pops, with its prog score and gorgeous neon lighting (dare I say that it all feels slightly giallo-inspired?). And it tackles eroticism and religiosity and repression in ways that must've felt super fresh in the ultra-conservative '80s. The meat and bones, however, don't really work for me. I thought the plot was uninteresting, the drama was flat, the characters were across-the-board unlikeable, and the tone was surprisingly dreary given the subject matter.
Kathleen Turner and the probably-miscast Anthony Perkins seem to be enjoying themselves, though. And the pun-heavy dialogue is pretty amusing (even if it starts to grate after a while). I don't necessarily have a problem with trash, but I'd prefer that it be at least somewhat fun. And I think Ken Russell takes this material far too seriously for any of it to be entertaining, or for the B-movie vibes not to clash with the many attempts at sincerity.
Grade: C+
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