claudio_carvalho Review of Back Stab

Back Stab (1990)

A Good Film Neo Noir, But With a Disappointing End

[6/10 · 1 January 2004]

Cliff Murphy (James Brolin) is a lonely widow architect still grieving the death of his wife Anne. On the day the company where he works is sold to Mr. Chambers, a very wealthy man, his co-worker and friend Juliet Powell (Dorithée Berryman) convinces him to join the other colleagues in a celebration in a bar. He reluctantly goes and he meets the gorgeous Caroline (Isabelle Truchon) being harassed by a strong blonde guy. He stays with her and they have a hot intercourse in the back seat of her car. On the next day, Caroline calls him in the office and invites him to go to a restaurant. Then, they go in two cars to her house. After some kisses and hugs, Cliff meets Mr. Chambers back stabbed and dead on the bed in the master bedroom. Cliff goes to Juliet's flat and calls Sara Rudnick (Meg Foster), a lawyer and former friend of Anne, asking her to defend him. She tells him to turn himself in to the police. He is put in jail and in the preliminary audience for the trial, Caroline is another woman. Cliff's world and defense turns upside down and he finds that someone has trapped him. But who?

"Back Stab" is film neo noir with a flawed but attractive unoriginal story that holds the attention of the viewer. There are hot sex, sexy and fatal women, amoral plot, jazz soundtrack, but all of these components of a film noir are wasted, after the second plot point. The screenplay becomes totally absurd and incredible and the conclusion of the story is totally disappointing. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Traição" ("Betrayal")

Note: On 17 October 2016, I saw this film again.