Ljuba - Corpo e anima (1997) User Reviews

Mattei!

[BandSAboutMovies · 3/10 · 20 May 2021]

Body and Soul is a little-seen Bruno Mattei film in which has a model named Ljuba (Christine Dowell, who only made this movie) getting horizontally involved with a uranium thief.

By 1997, Mattei had realized what most horror directors have learned today about Christmas movies. If a genre sells, make every movie you can within it. The Italian exploitation mindset, already used to the giallo and sex comedies, was easily able to adjust when the world wanted knockoffs of Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction. Mattei made several films in this field like A Shudder on the Skin, Belle de Moirre, Snuff Killer and Legittima Vendetta.

Those who have watched too many Italian genre films - hello friends! - will notice Gianni Franco (Rats: The Night of Terror, Delirium) and Massimo Vanni (Shocking Dark) in this movie.

And for those of you that know Bruno Mattei, you'll be pleased to know that he completely takes the limo love scene from No Way Out.

i think it is great

[lester_otasi · 10/10 · 13 August 2004]

This is the first free-TV erotic-movie I ever saw and that's perhaps one of the reasons I still remember it. Another one is the female protagonists' stunning beauty, especially Eva Rozanyai is still on my mind when it comes to the most beautiful women ever to appear naked on screen.

The plot is well written, in contrast to most of the other films of this genre it really dedicates a lot of time to the characters' development; their yearnings, wishes and dreams are sensitively measured by an outstanding dialogue and so an attentive viewer with a basic knowledge about psychology won't be surprised, but nonetheless emotionally stirred by the ending, which uncovers Ljuba's deepest fears and her enormous courage and strength the same time.

There is also a nice allusion to the famous car-scene in "No Way Out" which has the chauffeur trying to observe Ljuba's love games in the car's back by using the mirror in the front. Overall I really recommend it!