After Basic Instinct, there was Sliver, another fairly decent erotic thriller also starring Sharon Stone. It follows a successful woman who, upon moving to an upscale apartment building, finds out that all sorts of weird shit have been happening there. So, you have sexy young men and women, mystery and murder all blended together into one intriguing narrative. Granted, this isn’t some masterpiece that’s going to blow you away with surprise twists or intelligent dialogue. This is a classic erotic thriller that smells more of the eighties than it does of the nineties. Even the music is a mix of two decades.
However, we do tackle some pretty current issues for that time. You have the technological aspect with the obligatory fetishization of Japanese technology. I also loved the instant messaging done by our computer whiz, that’s bound to make you at least chuckle. If you know someone who’s a game designer, recommend them this movie. The characters we are going to meet are pretty unlikable wealthy brats but that makes them really funny. Like, you can see where they were going with this and what they thought would be either cute, funny or appealing.
Especially when it comes to Tom Berenger’s character. I urge you to pay attention to what Miss Stone does when she’s “working”. Add to this the familiar voyeur aspect and the picture is complete. Of course, we should not forget long, sometimes even too long, erotic scenes with a fair amount of nudity.
This should come as no surprise because Sliver is a Joe Eszterhas movie. He’s the guy behind movies like Flashdance, Basic Instinct, and Showgirls. Moving on, I really liked the cinematography and especially the lighting here. It has a certain old-school charm that works really well with this theme.
Carly Norris is a wealthy book editor who just got out of a bad marriage and into her new lofty apartment. The apartment building appears luxurious and safe but Carly soon learns that it has quite a past. Apparently, the girl who used to live in her apartment jumped to her death just a few months earlier. However, this is just one of many secrets the infamous sliver building “113” hides.
Of course, one of the main reasons why you should check out Sliver is Sharon Stone. And in a completely different role than in Basic Instinct. I can see why William Baldwin was their choice for Zeke but that doesn’t mean I approve of it. For me, he comes off as funny and awkward and certainly not mystical or sexy. Especially compared to Sharon. It would seem that she shares my opinion as the two couldn’t stand each other on the set.
Still, their scenes were quite good and beautifully directed. You will get the vanilla erotic thriller experience complete with the delicate bathtub masturbation scene. With a runtime of just over ninety minutes, Sliver is a breezy adventure that will leave you wanting more. I recommend you check The Loft featuring a much tighter storytelling and more emphasis on the mystery. And if you’re in a sensual mood, Wild Things are always a great choice.
Director: Phillip Noyce
Writers: Ira Levin, Joe Eszterhas
Cast: Sharon Stone, William Baldwin, Tom Berenger, Polly Walker, Martin Landau, CCH Pounder
Fun Facts: While filming a kissing scene, Sharon Stone bit William Baldwin’s tongue with such force that he couldn’t talk properly for days afterwards.
Rating:
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108162/
