Bound (1996 film) + Original Sin (2001 film)[AKA Peche Originel]

French 2-disc ‘Edition Double DVD coffret’ box-set

[Official French ‘Region 2’ DVD release]

 

French double-bill boxed set (2 x DVDs), which includes two of the finest Hollywood erotic/crime thrillers from around the time of the millennium.

 

When we bought it originally, we wanted to get Original Sin on DVD, however at the time the British version was sold out on Amazon, and the only copies on eBay seemed extortionately expensive (over £50 for used copies), so we bought this French double-bill version online for about £20 (including shipping).

 

Both films have held up well and are still relatively expensive and sought after on DVD.  Most versions of Original Sin available on eBay are from North America, so British DVD players may have difficulty playing the discs.  By contrast, this edition is Region 2, so there won’t be any compatibility issues.

[My ref: 202503031]

 

‘Bound’ (1996 film)

American crime thriller written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers. Caesar (Joe Pantoliano) is a money launderer for the Mob who has just come into possession of $2 million in cash. His moll, Violet (Jennifer Tilly), begins a relationship with their new neighbour, ex-con Corky (Gina Gershon), and the two women plot to relieve Violet's boyfriend of the money - by playing on his distrust of fellow mobster Johnnie (Christopher Meloni), the son of Mafia boss Gina Marzzone (Richard Sarafian Jr).

 

‘Original Sin’ [French title: ‘Péché Originel’] (2001 film)

In Cuba, at the end of the 19th century wealthy plantation owner Luis Vargas (Antonio Banderas) is a successful coffee plantation owner, who is finding it hard to find true love. When he arranges a marriage with an American girl Juliet (Angelina Jolie) he is bowled over by her beauty and passion. Seeds of doubt are planted by the arrival of a private detective (Thomas Jane) who wants to know why Julia has not contacted her family on the mainland. Julia is quite the devious vixen and when she pulls a fast one with Luis' money he swears revenge. However Luis and Julia begin to realise that they were meant for each other after all, but the detective is never far behind. As in most erotic thrillers, there are twists and turns in the plot, with a sting in the tail…

A remake of Francois Truffaut's Mississippi Mermaid (1969) set in the plantations of Cuba. This film plays like an erotic thriller such as Secret Games and Animal Instincts but with less graphic nudity. Anyone who has seen films such as these will recognise the plot immediately - a crime has been committed, the wronged party seeks the truth and justice, whilst a third party is not quite what he or she seems to be. Plus there are the obligatory unexpected twists at the end.