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In The Cut | Year: 2004 Classification: Thriller Directed: - Jane Campion Actors/Actresses: - Mark Ruffalo - Meg Ryan - Kevin Bacon - Kavin Bacon - Jennifer Jason Leigh Excellent Thriller From an Acclaimed Director To be honest, I kind of thought the movie was going to be bad (I didn't like the book), but I went to see it anyway, since I learned that Jane Campion was the director. Having seen and loved her "Angel at my Table," "The Piano," and "Holy Smoke," I was interested in finding out why exactly this independent New Zealand director left Australia and went, so to speak, "Hollywood." Well, it turns out that Campion was only doing a favor for Nicole Kidman, who was going to play the lead role (Nic decided against it later on, and became one of the executive producers instead). The film itself is gorgeous to look at, although the camera work is a bit shaky, and there are like... hundreds of meaningless close-ups that can drive you totally crazy. And guess what, Meg Ryan DOES take her top off (if you're interested in that sort of thing). But this movie is also very violent and brutal; I heard it almost got an NC-17 rating (our censors cut out a seven-minute chunk of footage with most shocking sex and violence and rated the film R). Basically, the story is about a somewhat attractive English teacher named Franny (played by Ryan), who suddenly finds herself in the middle of a police investigation when a girl is found murdered near her house. The lead detective working on the case meets and talks to her, and she's instantly attracted. Then, to make things even more complicated (as if the sexually unruly relationship between her and the police officer wasn't enough), Franny remembers that she saw the dead girl somewhere before. The story is quite interesting, though the ending is fairly simple and predictable. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who loves "romantic thrillers," but don't expect much from it. The acting is excellent (especially Ryan's), the cinematography is beautiful, the music is good, and the plot won't make you wanna yawn, and that's the important thing. What is Director Campion Saying About Us? With 'In the Cut,' Meg Ryan decided to take a bold step. She completely shatters the "nice cute girl" image she's maintained for years in films like 'Sleepless in Seattle' and 'You've Got Mail.' This time, Ryan plays a New York school teacher who's bored to death and basically looking for sexual fulfillment. She accidentally witnesses a couple in a bar and later discovers that the man brutally killed the woman. When she is questioned by a local detective, she suspects that she may be in more danger than she thinks. 'In the Cut' begins as a smart thriller that doesn't act like a typical thriller. The lack of thriller clichés early on is refreshing, and the performances, direction, and feel of the film give an eerie, satisfying experience. For awhile. Without giving away the plot, I can tell you that all of the characters in the film lose about 50 IQ points after the first hour. You begin to wonder what motivates these characters and question why some of them are in the film at all. Holes in the plot abound and some scenes will just plain leave you shaking your head. I felt really bad for Meg Ryan. She really risked a lot to play this role. It's unfortunate that it wasn't in a better film. This performance may surprise a lot of people. One final note. The film is loaded with sex and violence (although most of the violence occurs off-screen). Throughout the film, director Jane Campion focuses on the American flag for several seconds at a time. She seems to be saying that sex and violence are part of who we are as a country. For me, this was the most thought-provoking aspect of the film. Too bad the story wasn't as thought-provoking as the flag. Hated the book Because I hated the book, I was curious to see how they would make it into a film. Then I learned Jane Campion was directing, and was intrigued. Halfway through, I still wasn't impressed, but I waited. There is a quiet beauty to the film. The way Campion captures small details, like the way the protagonist would see them. I think it would have been horrible if it was completely true to the book. The additions are what make this film. The poetry in the subway. The garden outside her window. Meg Ryan playing against type. Mark Ruffalo is wonderful in his role, not giving the end away. And I loved the ending. I felt unresolved at the end of the book, and this ending made me happy. Buy In The Cut at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on In The Cut Search with the Priority Search Engine on In The Cut This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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