Product Description

Professor by day. Prostitute by night. Two-time Golden GlobeÂ(r) winner* Sigourney Weaver "shows her best stuff [in this] provocative" (Los Angeles Times) and stunning sexual thriller.Co-starring two-time OscarÂ(r) winner** Michael Caine, Half Moon Street is a smoldering, suspenseful tale of passion, politics and murder that's elegant, erotic and electrifying! When the brilliant and beautiful Dr. Lauren Slaughter (Weaver) discovers she's unable to live onher meager academic salary, she decides to moonlight as a high-priced London call girl. But when she unexpectedly falls for one of her clientsa top-ranking politician (Caine)Lauren soon finds herself enmeshed in a dark world of deviance, danger and deadly intriguewhere sex will make her rich and love could get her killed. *1988: Actress (Drama), Gorillas in the Mist; 1988: Supporting Actress, Working Girl **1999: Supporting Actor: The Cider House Rules; 1986: Hannah and Her Sisters

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14861 in DVD
• Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
• Released on: 2003-06-03
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 90 minutes

Customer Reviews

"Half-Moon" Half-Baked
This is a squeamy little film that nevertheless drew me in, due to the London setting (I'm a big Anglophile), and the star power of Sigourney Weaver and Michael Caine. The story itself is compelling: every woman has at one time or another imagined what it might feel like to seduce men for money, even if she abhors the actual realities of prostitution. With all this star power, an exotic setting (at least for Americans) in the high echelons of the British diplomatic corps, and a sexy thriller plot, the final result should have been a much better film. Even with the big names attached, the production values are distressingly low-budget, giving the film a down-market "TV Movie of the Week" feel, even without its dated 1980s wardrobe. The acting is curiously low-energy and stilted, though whether his is from a bad script or just the general malaise of actors not really wanting to be there, it's hard to tell. Stars of the wattage of Caine and Weaver ought to have made this a whole lot shinier and ramped it up several notches. As it is, they seem to be phoning in their respective performances in an ennui that's odd considering the subject matter. It's not just that this movie is now 22 years old that gives it its stiff and lackluster aura; other thrillers of the same period (1988's 'Frantic', comes to mind) have a much more accomplished and modern feel, and don't wear their age as poorly as this. It's hard to believe that this movie was ever given a theatrical release; at best it could have been an episode of 'Mystery!' and doesn't seem to aspire to more. The thing is that Caine and Weaver are both perfect for their respective roles; too bad this film was too thin to match what they were capable of.

A Daring Intellectual Caught up in International Intrigue
Half Moon Street in London contains posh flats, many of which belong to prominent Arabs, and is situated near Piccadilly. It is close to Victoria Station, Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly Circus.

Sigourney Weaver arrives in London to work for an Arab-Anglo institute. A brilliant intellectual with a doctorate at Harvard in the field of Chinese economics, having spent a good deal of time in China researching her subject, she is multi-lingual and has a sharp mind for movie details. She is able to readily recite dialogue from scores of films.

The think tank where Weaver works pays so little that she decides to do something daring to enhance her income. She goes to work for an escort service, but on independent terms. Sigourney explains that she will agree to a date at a restaurant, after which it is up to her if she will pursue matters further.

With her excellent pedigree Weaver is a natural to entertain the male economic elite from around the world in this most cosmopolitan of international cities. Her independence is revealed when she coolly tells one Japanese businessman that, despite his confident expectations, she has no desire to augment the evening's activities after dinner.

Weaver learns that the institute where she works is run by an international consortium containing, as one local investment banker tells her, the 5,000 people in international society that "really count."

On one of her eclectic evening excursions Weaver visits the flat of Michael Caine for dinner and prospective good times. A member of the House of Lords, Caine is also an international diplomat who is seeking to broker an international peace agreement between the Israeli and Arab political worlds.

The story ultimately assumes a duality of how Caine can keep the negotiations on track with Weaver caught in the midst of the intrigue. That flat on Half Moon Street that she was able to move into when the wealthy Arab who owned it said he did not need it that point perhaps will come at a stiff price after all. Time will tell.

As the intrigue continues Weaver becomes frustrated when Caine is compelled to break dates with her. When he is unable to keep an appointment in Geneva she is ready to leave him. In the process while in Geneva she has allowed another man to romance her.

In her anxiety to free herself from Caine, has Weaver somehow put herself in harm's way? How will it play out? Will she get back with Caine? Will Caine be able to broker the peace agreement despite possibly serious obstacles?

These are the points that play themselves out in the film.

Gratuitous Female Nudity=Mediocre Film?
Michael Caine plays the part of an English nobleman who hopes to bring about an agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Since when did the Palestinians ever want to live in peace with their Jewish neighbors? Never for a moment does the film deal with the unrelenting Jew hatred of the Arabs. And for some reason a number of people desire to murder the Caine character for his efforts. Who and why is left unclear. At best, I guess it has to do with those who presumably manipulate the world's oil prices. Sigourney Weaver has earned a Ph.D. and also sells her sexual favors. One of her clients is the British lord. She is nude countless time throughout the story. Her role makes no sense whatsoever. Weaver plays the part of a libertine who doesn't hesitate to let her own professional colleagues know that she is whoring on the side for extra money. Isn't that a great way to advance one's career? The dialogue is boring. When will this mess be over? I've come to a cynical realization: if a major actress is nude for more than one scene, there is a strongly likelihood that the director is desperate to save the project. Do you like to see Ms. Weaver's bare breasts? If so, Half Moon Street might be worth your time. Other than that, don't waste a moment of your short life span.

David Thomson
Flares into Darkness