Basic Instinct - Still got it - even today

There's probably not many people who don't know about 'Basic Instinct.' Whether you were around when it hit the cinemas or now only know it through its infamous reputation, it's a film that leaves people divided.  But, the fact that it was a roaring success at the time, launching Sharon Stone into the big league and cementing Michael Douglas as a leading man for not just the eighties, but the nineties as well, should tell you that there's something there which still stands the test of time.

I guess a fair few critics hated it.  I remember the faux outrage from those with - allegedly - large craniums, as they stroked their collective beard and declared it 'trash' and 'too smutty' to be taken seriously.  Possibly true, but damn good fun nonetheless.

There are stories that use s3x as a gimmick and the few where the act itself is central to the plot and it's hard to imagine the film any other way. 'Basic Instinct' falls into the latter.  Yes, there's plenty of - er - naughtiness, but it's not as over-the-top (and explicit!) as you may have been led to believe.  Well... maybe.

Michael Douglas plays the part of a troubled police officer, charged with the task of investigating whether an aging rock star was brutally murdered by his author girlfriend, Sharon Stone, or maybe someone trying to frame her.  Naturally, Douglas gets a little too close to the case for his own good and becomes entangled in a web of murder and mystery.

Maybe with lesser actors 'Basic Instinct' would have been forgotten, but the sheer chemistry between the two leads makes it work and Douglas does his best to hold his own to the part that now couldn't have been played by anyone else but Stone.  She really does smoulder in every scene, giving the impression of an old school 'femme fatale' yet occasionally making way to show her 'softer side,' proving that she's not just a pretty face, but actually capable of intense scenes of emotion.

Yes, there is s3x.  Yes, there is some pretty heavy scenes of gore.  If you're okay with that and enjoy a mystery that might not be quite as straight forward as the marketing may have you believe then 'Basic Instinct' still towers over any of its competitors.  Just a shame about the sequel.  Definitely avoid that.  

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one