Diabolique

At movie ticket prices, this misbegotten remake of Henri-Georges Clouzot's superior 1955 chiller delivered some pretty paltry pleasures. But the cost of a video rental is just about right for appreciating Stone's campy-vamp performance. All dark red lips and retro jungle prints, the star looks amusingly out of place as a Catholic boys school's math teacher — yes, math teacher — who conspires to murder her headmaster lover (Chazz Palminteri) with the help of his much-abused wife (Isabelle Adjani). The problem is that Sharon Stone's characterization is at odds with the filmmakers' muddled attempts at psychosexual depth. Slapping on lesbian overtones, religious symbolism, and Vertigo-style camera angles, Diabolique strives to be something special — then settles for a hit-'em-with-a-shovel finale. At least Stone had the sense to play this trash for what it is. C-