Passion

Name: Passion
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Released: August 30, 2013
Duration: 102 min
Rating: 54
Cast: Karoline Herfurth, Noomi Rapace, Paul Anderson, Rachel McAdams, Rainer Bock

2013

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 41 Ratings

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5.3

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5.3	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 41 Ratings

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Passion

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Movie Details & Credits

Entertainment One | Release Date: August 30, 2013 | R

Starring: Karoline Herfurth, Noomi Rapace, Paul Anderson, Rachel McAdams, Rainer Bock

Summary: The rivalry between the manipulative boss (Rachel McAdams) of an advertising agency and her talented protégée (Noomi Rapace) escalates from stealing credit to public humiliation to murder.

Director: Brian De Palma

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 102 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Alan Scherstuhl

Aug 27, 2013

Passion is pretty good. Read full review

Keith Uhlich

Aug 27, 2013

This is truly De Palma–ville, and the filmmaker’s remake of Alain Corneau’s tale of corporate bloodletting, "Love Crime" (2010), is a welcome return to the carnal shockers that he does so well. Read full review

IndieWire Eric Kohn

Apr 23, 2013

Passion simultaneously parodies its plot while elevating it to a strangely involving exercise in cinematic drama. The filmmaker has either lost control of the material or maintains the same calculation of his protagonists. But the entertainment value associated with that uncertainty is the essence of his career. Read full review

McClatchy-Tribune News Service Roger Moore

Aug 26, 2013

DePalma flirts with the lurid and tosses in some interesting third act surprises, but never finds his way back to the sexually charged tone and shocks of his earlier thrillers. Read full review

Lou Lumenick

Aug 29, 2013

A campy erotic thriller that’s seriously short of, well, passion. Read full review

Mike D'Angelo

Aug 28, 2013

Passion, De Palma’s latest film, will irritate the faithful for about an hour, then thrill them as the master abruptly springs to life and starts carving up screen space with his usual reckless precision. Read full review

Joe Neumaier

Aug 29, 2013

With no heat at all and a woefully disjointed cast, De Palma’s danse macabre never catches fire. Read full review

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User Reviews

Kiva

Aug 30, 2013

Passion is a really good movie. I haven't seen the original which is a french film but Passion was great. The plot and the whole idea were really smart. Noomi Rapace was something more than excellent and Rachel McAdams was really good too. I haven't watched any other Brian de Palma film butPassion is a really good movie. I haven't seen the original which is a french film but Passion was great. The plot and the whole idea were really smart. Noomi Rapace was something more than excellent and Rachel McAdams was really good too. I haven't watched any other Brian de Palma film but as I saw in Passion he must be really good. I also liked the cinematography and the whole atmosphere was totally like watching a thriller. Though it could have a bigger "twist", Passion entertains and it will surely make some people feel disturbed. A really really good movie with an excellent cast!… Expand

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

Spangle

Jan 4, 2017

As with many of Brian De Palma's films - especially those released in the 21st Century - Passion was, well, divisive upon release. A remake of a French film, many critics derided this one as self-indulgent, trashy, and an imitation of De Palma's own work. While admittedly a bitAs with many of Brian De Palma's films - especially those released in the 21st Century - Passion was, well, divisive upon release. A remake of a French film, many critics derided this one as self-indulgent, trashy, and an imitation of De Palma's own work. While admittedly a bit self-indulgent and poorly plotted, Passion is just so much fun to experience and to see, it is hard not to champion it as unfairly maligned. Sure, it is exclusively style over substance, but never has style looked so good as in De Palma's Passion. Toying with ideas he has introduced before, Passion is a film about manipulation, power, dominance, and sex. Even more, it continues to show how influenced by Hitchcock this man is with a focus towards the end of pulling of the "perfect murder". A major theme in some of Hitchcock's works such as Shadow of a Doubt and Dial M for Murder, the same appears in this film. Even better, many of De Palma's trademark shots, such as split screens and oblique angles make triumphant appearances in this film. Maybe this one is not for everybody, but since I happen to love the work of De Palma, I ate this one up with a spoon.

One of the best elements of this film is how it crafts its perfect murder. Not revealing its tricks until the very end, even the audience is fooled in this one as De Palma uses his split-screen to manipulate and confuse the audience. On one side, we see Isabelle James (Noomi Rapace) at the ballet. On the other, we see Christine Stanford (Rachel McAdams) at home. The split-screen in this film is particularly great as Isabelle's side slides onto the frame and Christine's slides off and then back on. As magnificently choreographed as always, De Palma adds another wrinkle by using voyeurism in Christine's side. With her walking around a hallway in her home and being peered at through a small gap in a door, we see just through the gap with black all around. A point of view shot in this instance, it also serves to obscure who is there with her and further confuse and mislead the audience. Though we know who we can rule out, it hardly limits the options and has the ability to keep the audience continuously on edge. This may be a bit of fan service and self-indulgent as he emulates some of his best works in this moment, but it is not ineffective. Just because it is a trademark does not make it wrong and I love the split-screens in his films with this scene being an example of why. Tense, thrilling, and keeping the audience completely on edge, this is a great example of why it is a terrific tool.

De Palma is also known for his oblique angles at times and Passion features a lot of them. Many times, they can be a bit more subtle, but here they take center stage. As things begin to spiral out of control at the office. Showing the balance of power in certain scenes, one of my favorites is an oblique angle shot of Christine's offices. With shadows pouring into the room, Christine's back is to us as Isabelle's walks into the office. Not expecting the cold response from Christine, scene is chilly and uncomfortable, in large part because of the shot. Every scene with an oblique angle shot, such as the sexual harassment scene between Christine and Dani (Karoline Herfurth), are unsettling. While occasionally thrilling in these moments, they are mostly just hard to watch and a brilliant piece of filmmaking. Of course, these scenes are also bolstered by the use of shadows. Often used to trap in characters, many characters are trapped here, both literally and figuratively. Christine is trapped by Isabelle. Isabelle is trapped by Dani. The inspector is trapped by lies. Dirk Harriman (Paul Anderson) is trapped by Christine and Isabelle. Shadows and bars adorn them all and lock them up in their visual prison before some of them wind up in actual prison. Along with the split-screens and oblique angles, the shadows bless Passion with an incredible visual style.

An erotic thriller, Passion may not be one of De Palma's best works, but its aesthetic is undeniable. Though its substance pales in comparison to those in his best works, the plot is still quite compelling and twisty, even if it makes very little sense and has major plotholes. The plot also suffers from an overreliance on dream sequences and fake outs that hurt the suspense and thrills, rather than fostering either. Yet, the camera work here is tremendous and the more I watch De Palma's films, the more I have come to appreciate that his style and camera movements are the main draw of his films, not necessarily just the plot. Passion is the epitome of this, hence its negative reception. Thus, for those who enjoy De Palma and his trademarks as a director, Passion should exceed expectations.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

LamontRaymond

Sep 5, 2013

I'd suggest it's a bit better than the original French film (Love Crime), mostly because it adds all the DePalma melodrama and camp. Noomi is solid and McAdams is really perfect in the role. The chief weakness in the film is the boredom surrounding the set-up scenes the seeminglyI'd suggest it's a bit better than the original French film (Love Crime), mostly because it adds all the DePalma melodrama and camp. Noomi is solid and McAdams is really perfect in the role. The chief weakness in the film is the boredom surrounding the set-up scenes the seemingly unimportant acts that later tie things together. I mean, sure, you have to have those in the movie, but you've got to make the "getting there" interesting. I'm still deciding whether I liked the split-screen during the ballet sequence. I think the dancer was a bit too good-looking because she distracts from the other half of the screen which is important. Regardless, it's not one of DePalma's best, but it's fun.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

BrianMcCritic

Jan 1, 2014

This film is full of over acting from some really good actresses. While going for a psychological thriller Brian De Palma gives us a mess with some very unlikeable characters. D

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

bfoore90

Oct 8, 2019

Caught this on Amazon Prime Video. "Passion" is a colossal dud from De Palma despite a great cast with good performances especially from the underrated Noomi Rapace and Rachel McAdams

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

MavisGary610

Feb 18, 2014

A ridiculous film full of stupid characters doing stupid things. A waste of two great actresses and a great director's talents.The plot is ludicrous and the twists don't pack the punch that you expect them to. They simply leave the viewer in an "oh, COME ON!" state of mind.

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

Thegodfatherson

Nov 12, 2013

Passion is half baked, boring and ineffective. I love Brian De Palma and his awesome work. He returns to the Razzies with Passion. It's Moviegoers get attracted to the romantic atmosphere and music Bullsh*t. De Palma's language issues are there but the movie's "passion" isn't there. Not aPassion is half baked, boring and ineffective. I love Brian De Palma and his awesome work. He returns to the Razzies with Passion. It's Moviegoers get attracted to the romantic atmosphere and music Bullsh*t. De Palma's language issues are there but the movie's "passion" isn't there. Not a romantic film, thoroughly disturbing and very very boring but very bad portrayal but Noomi Rapace and Rachel McAdams. Being piece of horsecrap- Passion is one of the most dissapointing films in history.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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