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He gets his wish when Bridget stops in for a drink, and on a dare he approaches her. Gender roles get thoroughly bent as Mike attempts to pick her up, only to find himself inspected like a head of cattle and literally led back home by his own junk. Bridget rocks him like a Springsteen show, raids his refrigerator, makes some long distance phone calls and abruptly leaves. That would be that, but for the fact that as part of her plan to blend with the locals, she unwittingly lands a job at the same insurance company where Mike works. He moons over her, smitten by their tryst and insistent that they become a couple. Most women would find that repulsive, and Bridget is no different. But like your grandpa used to say, any sociopath worth a bag of lemons knows how to make those lemons into lemonade.

So Bridget makes some very delicious, very crazy lemonade.

Fully aware that Clay has tracked her to Beston, she quickly enacts Plan B. By weaving an elaborate web of lies, petty theft and hot monkey sex, Bridget concocts a plan to use the insurance company's resources, Mike's unprecedented sensitivity, and Clay's unbridled aggression to turn the odds back to her favor. You can see it all unfolding well in advance, and with the exception of one or two genuinely surprising twists, it's obvious how things are going to turn out. In fact for the most part, the last 30 minutes or so feel about as contrived and routine as a Scooby Doo mystery. But it's all part of the fun. The surprise isn't the ending, it's how far certain people were willing to go to GET there.

Desperation is the name of the game here, and the winner will be the one who's got it gnawing at their guts the hardest. Clay knows he's an inadequate man. It's probably the reason he's so angry; so eager to prove himself to Bridget first by stealing for her and then by hunting her down like a dog. Bill Pullman brings his trademark bag of nervous tics to a role that doesn’t quite get enough screen time, but still provides the film with ample comic relief. Bridget feels entitled to wealth and power, and is content to take it from whomever she must, however she has to. Fiorentino is simply outstanding, slipping into the role of Black Widow like a well worn pair of slippers.

For her family’s sake, I pray she’s only acting. Seriously.

And poor Mike - he's just a nice guy with a big fuzzy heart who just wants to be cherished. He's in way over his head and like most needy people, taking stupid risks makes him feel proactive. This is probably Peter Berg’s most thankless role (at least until he directed “Battleship”); you want to punch him in the face as he stumbles from one unfortunate decision to another. What initially seems like an uplifting presence quickly becomes a sort of sacrificial lamb. These are all damaged people, but Mike’s demons scream the loudest and drag him down the furthest. His childlike need to trust and be loved by everyone he meets has burdened him with a dark secret. And when he lays his heart bare to the woman he thinks he loves, he becomes her mark...and it’s not pretty.

The Last Seduction is Noir Redux - so much so that if you watched it in black and white it might feel perfectly natural. It is a sadistically wry black comedy first and foremost, and whatever mystery there is in the story is of the easy to follow, paint-by-numbers variety. This isn't meant to be a challenging film; rather, its intent is to evoke the same trashy sense of intrigue you get from classics like Double Indemnity or The Big Sleep. It's John Dahl’s best film (Rounders not withstanding), as well as a wonderful, guilty pleasure - like having beer and pizza for breakfast, or buying yourself a flat screen TV instead of paying your mortgage. It's the kind of movie they don't make many of anymore, but they should.

And Linda Fiorentino should be in as many of them as possible.

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