Movie

Exception to the Rule (1997)

The title and one-line plot synopsis – a man blackmailed over diamonds – promise little. But show any villainess fan the opening scene, where a woman in black leather bumps off a South African diamond trader, and the excitement should build. For once, the events that follow don’t disappoint, and this movie is an easy selection for the goddess tier.

The killer’s face is not shown, but the long blonde hair and voice are a giveaway. Carla features prominently on the poster and is played by Kim Cattrall, so no prizes for guessing who the antagonist is. The villainess shoots the trader above the heart to paralyse him, then moves closer for a headshot execution. A killing style that establishes Carla as someone who likes her victims to suffer in their last moments.

Carla doesn’t get the diamonds, as the victim passed them on just before she arrived. So now it’s time to devise a new plan, which involves Tim Bayer (Eric McCormack). He’s an American who’s unhappily married to the pregnant Angela (Sean Young). The woman is also the daughter of Tim’s boss and firm owner Larry Kellerman (William Devane), which is sure to cause friction. Tim has marriage counselling from psychiatrist Dr Beeson and support from his friend Ron Lansing, but neither man is trustworthy.

Carla works her way into Tim’s life by pulling the broken-down vehicle trick, which convinces the good Samaritan to offer the beautiful woman a ride home. Soon after that, she poses naked in her apartment, though we only see rear shots of a body double. Still, the seduction tricks are effective, and Carla visits Tim at the office to tempt him further.

The broker is sent to San Francisco to close a deal with the shady Mr Ferguson, whose next visitor is a black-gloved assassin with a syringe full of snake venom. Her screaming victim takes a fatal plunge from a skyscraper, then Carla “accidentally” encounters Tim in a bookstore. The villainess seduces her mark, leading to wine sipping and passionate sex. Once again there’s a body double, though we see Carla’s face this time around. Getting involved with a femme fatale will only end badly, Tim.

Villainess

Carla Rainer (Kim Cattrall)

Shortly after Tim returns home and spends time with Angela, he receives a videotape of his one-night stand. Carla set up a camera, and when Tim revisits the apartment, it’s the usual story of the blackmailer using a false address. Dr Beeson isn’t much help, so Tim hires Burt Ramsey, a loan shark who moonlights as a private detective. Ron is in debt to Burt – who sends two goons round as an unfriendly reminder – and the gambling problems are a hint that the best friend can’t be trusted.

Time for Carla to up the ante, so she shows up unannounced during an evening out to join Tim, Larry, and Angela. This leads to an awkward conversation where the others don’t know the woman posing as Susan Bradshaw has evil intent. This is all designed to make Tim nervous, and to increase the pressure even more, Carla goes with Angela to the women’s restroom. There, the villainess shows off a heart and snake tattoo on her thigh, and tells Angela that her lover has the other half.

With Tim on edge, Carla meets him at a remote location to make her demands, looking sinister in black leather and dark glasses. She wants Tim to bring her the shipment of diamonds that she’s failed to steal so far and uses the videotape and threats of violence as leverage. Carla fondles Tim’s groin just because she can, while Burt watches from a distance. The villainess spots her tail quickly, and there’s a rather short car chase before she loses him.

Not too happy with Tim hiring a PI, the leather-clad Carla confronts him in a parking garage. They trade threats before the killer warns Tim that she “does the fucking”. A line intended to have a double meaning. Angela is unaware of what’s going on and attends a gallery event with her husband. She works on metal sculptures in her private workshop, and her latest effort is Blind Justice, a statue of a woman with raised hands pressed together. The sculpture appears in several scenes, so it will become important later.

Carla decides the nosy Burt has become a problem, so drives to a cliff edge and exits her car. Being rather stupid – and not considering that the suspect is dressed in black – he joins Carla and questions her while drinking booze. The deranged woman gives an obviously fake story about being in love with Tim, then injects Burt with sea snake venom. While he’s paralysed, the villainess pours alcohol over him, sets his vehicle on fire, and watches with smiling glee as he’s knocked over the cliff by the flaming car. A brilliant death scene, and Carla enjoyed every second.

A detective named Garcia shows up at Tim’s office to question him about Burt’s death. Tim provides a false reason for hiring the PI, but the cop doesn’t buy it. After a run-in with Garcia while visiting Burt’s nightclub, Carla raises the stakes by attempting to run Angela over in broad daylight. This leaves Tim’s wife very shaken, and he contemplates giving the psycho what she wants.

Tim appears to cave in to her demands and meets at yet another secluded spot. After Carla leaves with the diamonds, Tim follows her to a motel and learns she’s involved with Dr Beeson. It’s quickly revealed the stones are fake, so Tim contacted the police and Larry about the scheme and went there wired up. Carla looks like she might kill the doctor, but leaves him alive. A show of mercy? Or maybe she didn’t have her silenced pistol or syringe handy.

Beeson reconsiders and telephones Tim, but is cut off when a masked assailant barges into the hotel. The latest murder victim is a weak opponent, whom the mysterious male attacker drowns in a bathtub. Given the lack of suspects, it’s obvious who Carla’s accomplice is, but it takes several minutes for an official reveal during the finale at Angela’s house.

Tim has moved out, so his wife is alone and easy prey for the villainess. It’s already been established that Angela doesn’t like snakes, while Carla is fond of them. The killer even has a distinctive metal pattern on her gloves. Naturally, the villainess leaves a live snake in the bed as a nasty surprise and interrupts to issue demands when the terrified Angela calls Tim. At gunpoint, the resilient woman grabs a golf club while Carla taunts her and uses it to knock away the gun. Inexplicably, Carla can’t shoot accurately at a fleeing pregnant woman.

Ron, who shows up outside, advises Angela to hide. Once inside, it’s revealed (to no great surprise) that Ron is romantically involved with Carla and working with her. The accomplice roughs himself up to convince Angela he’s dealt with the villainess, but tearing open his shirt reveals the other tattoo half that tips his would-be victim off. After she locks herself in the workshop, Carla surmises Ron is expendable, rediscovers her pistol skills, and does her double-shot execution trick.

Angela takes cover in her workshop as the leather-clad villainess shoots her way in. Time for some obligatory taunts as she searches the building. It doesn’t take long to find Angela’s rather obvious hiding place. That’s when Tim arrives, leading to a brief scuffle that ends with Carla victorious. With Angela still recovering from a knockdown, the killer shoots Tim in the chest and lines up her trademark headshot. Then it’s the wife to the rescue with a blowtorch.

Angela keeps Carla at bay with the flaming weapon, but has spent too much time welding because the gas supply runs out. The smirking villainess senses victory, but Angela surprises her by using the torch as a makeshift club. The blow sends Carla crashing through a guardrail, and the conveniently placed sculpture interrupts her fall. That sharp hand is an effective spike that skewers the villainess, and while her fingers twitch, there’s no sudden resurrection.