Jade MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +2 1/2 Content: -3

When a prominent San Francisco art collector is murdered, a hatchet connected with pagan sex rituals is used. The investigation by assistant DA David Corelli (David Caruso) points to his own one time lover and wife of prominent attorney, Matt Garvey (Chazz Palminteri). Although a respected doctor of psychology, Matt's wife, Trina (Linda Fiorentino), apparently leads a double life as a prostitute called Jade. The victim had photos of Jade with the state governor (Richard Crenna), and may have been planning blackmail. But other witnesses are also dying. Is Jade covering her tracks or is she another on the list of witnesses to die? A somewhat predictable mystery, but exciting car chases down the hilly streets of San Francisco make it bearable. It's really just another sleazy crime story with very little substance.

Because of the sexual nature of the crime, there are many references to sex in the film. More than once, the victim's bloody body is shown hanging naked from the wall. Pictures of the governor and Jade and a videotape of Jade with another client include breast and rear nudity. Sexual behavior takes place throughout the film, some of it bizarre. If it's not sexual, the scene is no doubt full of gory violence. Non-stop graphic violence plays a major part in this movie. When a key witness is hit by a car, she is then run over as her bloody body falls to the ground. Her autopsy provides full frontal nudity. Another witness is shown with a gruesome wound to his eye. Not to be left out, the dialogue includes more than 30 obscenities, many crudities and several profanities. Reportedly edited from an NC-17 to an R, the final version of JADE still has a lot of offensive footage. Avoid it.

Preview Reviewer: Paul Bicking
Distributor: Paramount Pictures, 5555 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038