DeniDVD Vault: Strange Days by Katherine Bigelow
May 28th 2010 03:06
The movie was released in 1995 and takes place over the last two days of 1999, the brink of the new millennium - the infamous Rodney King beating still lingers and a battle cry against police brutality and the Los Angeles Police
Ralph Fienes as Lenny
The match that lights the fuse are **'SQUID' recordings or playback: experiences recorded directly from the cerebral cortex which when played back through a MiniDisc-like device allowing a user to experience all recorded sensory inputs as if actually doing it themselves. It's the drug of the day and it's illegal.
Juliette Lewis as Faith
While out peddling playback, a frantic and troubled Iris (Brigitte Bako), a prostitute and acquaintance, approaches Lenny and warns him that Faith is in trouble, unbeknownst to Lenny, she stashes a disc in his car, which is subsequently toed away. Hours later, he mysteriously receives a "black jack" disc, a disturbing recording of Irish being raped and murdered. Paranoid, worried and using any excuse to see Faith, he makes one desperate attempt to take her away from her boyfriend Milo.
Angela Bassett as Mace
Throughout the day, Lenny receives more "black jack" and enlists the aid of his good friend Lornette "Mace" Mason (Angela Bassett) and Max (Tom Sizemore) to help him find the link. Eventually their steps are traced back to the Iris and her last conversation with Lenny and ultimately his car, which is held in impound. Lenny and Mace break into his car and discover a playback so dangerous that it could cause a civil war and anarchy!
Bigelow's direction is just astounding, the pacing of the movie is perfect and all the while when plot is moving along the tension and build up of the what will come with the new
I loved Ralph Fiennes in this role - he played Lenny with pathetic gusto - a loser with a heart of gold who, underneath all the flash and finesse, only wanted to save the girl he loved. This was probably Angela Bassett's only kick-ass role and it's a shame she's beautiful, strong, tough, and she's Lenny's true champion. Juliette Lewis was great at getting her "skank" on - I loved her musical performances. Kudos to Tom Sizemore.
The ending was a bit of a let-down but I'm not going to complain about it too much since the rest of the film did an amazing job. If you haven't seen this one, then get out and rent it. I remember being sold on the trailer alone. Good story by James Cameron, the ex-husband of Katherine Bigelow. They should work together more often.
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Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Thanks for the review!
Comment by Deni
Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald