Strange Days
I was watching Strange Days yesterday, one of my favorite movies, and I really wonder why this movie did not get more popular. It has the James Cameron touch everywhere even though he did not direct the movie (it was his ex I think), he did write the script, was present everywhere especially on the editing part. Cameron is probably the only director who is capable to mix action, character development, good script and good actors and make near a masterpiece from all these. Also in his movies women are not weak pathetic creatures to be saved and who are just present for the sex scenes, women in Cameron’s movies (and deceased tv show Dark Angel) are strong willed, determined and capable.
I also think this is the movie where Ralph Fiennes is the sexiest. I know many still sigh over him in The English Patient but I find his character too cool and perfect to please me in that movie. I’m weary of perfection in general, I wonder what it hides, and it’s not realistic at all. In Strange Days he is flawed and he screws up and makes mistakes, and I find him more adorable like this. His character has more depth too. Just for the look as well, Ralph is better looking in this movie, bohemian and wild, he looks so hot wearing the leather pants, ouch. At some point Gant asks him how Lenny managed to get in, “my charm” replies Lenny, and watching him, you can only agree, his vulnerability only makes him sexier in that scene, I would have ran in his arms without thinking. If you claim to love Ralph Fiennes and yet has not watched this movie, you have no idea what you’re missing.
I love Angela Bassets, she is a good actress and I’m sure unfortunately due to her being black she has not being able to do more movies. She manages to pull off her character very well, to make her strong and yet sensitive and caring. Who said strong women have to be bitches? I like the duo they form Ralph and her, how she is more active while he is more passive. He lets people beat him up (“I don’t mind being rough up a little” he says at one moment), I guess it must be the masochist in him that allow him to not defend himself, some people who think they deserve the worst don’t do much to get themselves out of troubles, worse, they do everything to put themselves in troubles, and seeing how wrecked Lenny is it’s obvious he just doesn’t care. It’s only at the end when he cares he is capable of fighting, even winning against his opponents while he let them beat him up earlier.
Even Juliette creates a strong woman of some sort, many would think she is among the weak women, as she doesn’t do much herself. But then they forget that Faith was a hooker and this is what she knows best, using her body and sex to obtain what she wants. She’s obviously using Gant to make him produce her disk, she used Max to know why Gant hired a detective to follow her everywhere. Even in the end, she plays Max into making him believe she is on his side, only to kick and fight him when he tries to kill Lenny. Even though she doesn’t love Lenny anymore she still cares about him, also she didn’t know Max was the killer until the end. It was nice as well to show that Faith could be really hot without having DD breasts.
This is such a great movie. Here are a few pictures and link:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19951013/REVIEWS/510130303/1023
This is a past blog entry from MySpace.