Salo -A DVD Re-Release-

Well it's about bloody time! Pier Paolo Pasolini's final and most provocative film has been given new life by the fine people at Criterion, whose mission is to showcase great films that would otherwise be relegated to the alphatetized isles of HMV and the like. Salo, based on the Marquis de Sade's epic "120 Days Of Sodom" has been dusted off, polished up and assembled into a two-disc special edition complete with trailers, making-of docs, and a booklet of essays by Pasolini's contemporaries.

Why am I so excited about this re-release? 

I first read about Salo in John Waters' book "Crackpot: The Obsessions of John Waters", lent to me by my gorgeous friend Kre. I can't thank her enough. In the book Waters lists films he loves and is influenced by, one of which is Salo. Upon reading the synopsis and Waters' critique I became obsessed with seeing this film; a task more difficult than I would've imagined. 

First, Salo was banned in many countries after it's 1975 release. This meant that a DVD transfer was equally rare. So rare in fact that when I located a rental copy at a local arthouse film store I was told a $500 dollar deposit would be required. 

I didn't pay the deposit. For god's sake my cat could've pissed on it by mistake and I'd be in a work camp for the next 12 months!

Without too many details I managed to see a copy and I was transformed! How could this film not be available to anyone with a whim to see it? I wrote emails to Criterion, the original DVD releasers, and begged them for a re-release. Not six months later an email arrived in my inbox informing me that Salo would be back in a special 2-disc edition in late August of 2008. 

That email came in June.  For three months I waited. The timing may have been coincidental, but I feel my email entreaties might've made a difference. 

Anyway, I just finished watching it for the second time and as renowned theatre artist Neil Bartlett says in his essay "Watching Salo" (included in the accompanying booklet), "...to watch the film a second time, remember[...] that it's extraordinary detachment is actually underpinned by a profound fury."

Yeah, yeah, okay; here's the poop! (no foreshadowing intended!)

The film takes place in the village of Salo during the Nazi occupation of Italy in 1944. Four men; the Duke, the Magistrate, the Bishop, and the President (the Four Libertines), inter-marry their respective daughters to each other in a pact which serves as the starting ceremony for several days of debauchery at a private estate. 

Four young men are kidnapped to be soldiers and are then ordered to capture nine young men and nine young women. They are then brought to a remote villa and enslaved by the so-called 4 Libertines to be used in a series of progressively more degrading and violent sexual acts. 

Spurring on the twisted festivities are four middle-aged prostitutes, hired for their lewd storytelling abilities and intended to enflame the Libertines' passions. 

No deviance is ignored. The Libertines' couplings are random; boys, girls, anal, oral, manual... and the scenarios are inspired by the tales told by the whores. At one point two of the captives, a male and a female, are encouraged to fuck, but just as quickly they are ordered to stop and two of the Libertines fuck them both instead. Later, after another whore tells childhood tales of fecophilia a forced banquet of feces is served to all. 

Any captive unwilling to participate is written in a punishment book to be dealt with later, and harshly.

Lesser punishments are dealt with swiftly. Gurgle gurgle :)

Others are kept alive for "deflowering". 

By the end of the film I had laughed, wretched, been in awe, been aroused, and ultimately was entranced (not necessarily in that order). 

Because of it's controversial nature Salo went largely unseen upon it's release. College students might find it in arthouses or collectors might find it upon it's eventual first Criterion release. Otherwise it is considered one of the most shocking films never seen. 

Nowadays shock is a dime-a-dozen. Horror is Hollywood and sex is a mouse-click away. What this film has that none of those others does is the shear beauty of Dante Ferretti's sets, Danilo Donati's luscious gowns and costumes, Ennio Morricone's evocative sounds, and of course Pasolini's vision.

The entire film takes place inside the villa, and we are less passive viewers as intimate accomplices. We might turn away, we may even cover our eyes, but we never press 'Stop' on the remote control. We are as curious as the driver who slows at a traffic accident to check for a mangled corpse. As curious as the watchers at an air-show who salivate, waiting for a crash. As curious as a virgin wondering to what extremes sexuality can go. Pasolini was as brave as Sade himself in presenting this glimpse into the sexuality that dare not speak it's name (to borrow from Lord Alfred Douglas). 

Upon seeing this film for the second time I still feel inadequate to speak to it's themes, although I have my ideas with which I won't bore you. However one line, spoken by the Duke to one of the whores stands out;

"The limitation of love is that you need an accomplice. Your friend well knew that the Libertine's refinement lies in being at once executioner and victim."

There's your theme. 

Salo or The 120 Days of Sodom is available in 2-Disc Special Edition DVD from Criterion.com. 

Also see The 120 Days Of Sodom by the Marquis de Sade

Prom Night -A DVD Review-

I love horror films, lemme just say that up front if it isn't yet clear to the newbies! A good slasher... A GOOD slasher will always be judged honestly by me. I'm not always looking for perfection in a slasher, nor am I necessarily looking for innovation. When I see a good horror film; filmed right, amped up with the right amount of tension, I love it and I'll sing it's praises. 

I know I said the purpose of this website is to enlighten you to films you should see, regardless of the genre! I appreciate all types of film and therefore I want to tell you, dear reader, about the best of what's good.

However... sometimes big commercial films don't live up to snuff and were I to ignore them you might think I didn't see them and therefore you should take a chance. 

Let me tell you about Prom Night!

This is a remake of a classic horror film with the intention of making an ingenue a star, and the threat of sequels (god forbid!).

Clearly the filmmakers were going for a Scary Movie type deal cos the set-up was everywhere; girl witnesses her parents killed, girl mostly recovers, girl is still young and sexy and in high school, girl is still up for some dress-tearing action, and then the dress tearing begins!!!!

Prom Night (2008) is a bloodless, passionless tribute to '80's slasher films. Were it a high school term paper it would score; D for lack of violence and graphic depiction of death in an era of Alexandre Aja films; B for tension, which was sometimes effective but only towards the end when I wasn't sure what would happen; B for acting as far as Brittany Snow (Hairspray) and Dana Davis (Heroes) go. They were good, it's the material that sucked. F for failing to make me really scared; I was too busy mapping out (correctly) where the film would go next. 

I hate to say it, but avoid Prom Night 2008. 

It's available on DVD now. Brittany Snow wants you to rent it, but she's coming from a biased place. I'm not. Don't go anywhere near this movie!

Ooh, I think that's making her hot...

I think she likes me trashing her...

Yeah, and she's a bitch too...

You like this trashing, Brittany?

"Johnny Kocktail, you make me so hot I don't know whether to rub my pussy or sneeze!"

Wow, that's a bit intense, but I'll say let's all have a good night and NOT see Prom Night.

"I don't care if they see it Johnny, I've never actually seen my clitoris before now, and I want you to have it!"

Well thanks Brittany Snow, but I'll wait for the british tabs, not that they're interested!

Thanks for coming, see you soon!

 

The Strangers -A Review-

Lock your doors. Close your windows. This world is so full of people you have to consider that some of them are outside your home right now. Now, as you read this someone could very well be casing your home for a robbery. Or maybe they're just watching you because, as one of the baddies in this film says, "You're home."

The Strangers is an interesting film. The first and second act are VERY effective at creeping you out and even scaring you, to the point I yelled at one scene. The build-up is very well done and is sustained right up until the end. I'll leave it up to you, but I was disappointed by the end of this movie. Without making spoilers I'll just say that the hard-on this film had went flaccid. There was no money shot! Lemme do the shit: Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) have just returned to their isolated country house after Kristen denied James' marriage proposal. He enlists a drunk friend to take him home after this romantic disaster which the two try not to talk about while they are alone in the house. There's a knock at the door. And then another. And another until we establish that someone or some group is fucking with them.

The three perps wear masks and they terrorize the couple under the opening credits' guise of "Based on a true story"; upon research this is a dubious claim.

First time director/writer Bryan Bertino does a great job of amping up the tension from the word Go! As the story moves along I was watching with wide eyes as the frightening events unfolded. Unfortunately when we reach endgame the production falls flat on it's face. Some might like it, but I was annoyed.

All great films have an organic feel to them; even horrors. In this case the pieces just didn't fall into place.

Liv Tyler was great, as was Speedman, but ultimately this pic couldn't be saved.

But that's just my opinion. Buy or rent this flick on October 21.

The idea was very Michael Haneke "Funny Games", but if you're choosing between "The Strangers" and the former I'd suggest renting the former.

The Strangers is, I think, a knee jerk reaction to Hanekes re-release of his original 97' masterpiece.

But thats just me.

Paranoid Park -A DVD Review-

This is the latest release from Gus Van Sant, one of my favourite filmmakers. He wrote, directed and released it in 2007, based on the novel by Blake Nelson.

Paranoid Park follows the director's much lauded genius series "Death Trilogy", (Gerry, Elephant, and Last Days) the minimalist, almost Dogme-style trio of films which have cemented his style as a spare, emotional filmmaker with a penchant for stories told in a non-linear style.

Here's the shit:

Paranoid Park is about a young skateboarder who is involved in someones death and the guilt he tries to deal with as a result.

Once again Van Sant seems to employ as actors young people who come from the film's locales; inexperienced actors who bring a sense of realism to the story. At times this feels obvious, but not distractingly so. In fact it becomes almost charming watching these children interpret the lines written by people much older than themselves and attempt to imbue them with some meaning because, after all, they're supposed to know of what they read for the cameras.

Gabe Nevins is Alex in his first role as the young skater in trouble. He's very effective as a child in a very grown-up (not so much anymore though, murder, is it?) situation. He is innocence personified and a quintissential teenager, at least as far as I can tell as I dodge their skateboards!

Another notable first is Jake Miller as Alex's best friend Jared. This kid has PRESENCE! He's in the film very little but his charisma is utilized to the extreme by Van Sant and you WILL hear about this kid again. Mark my words.

Now I'm no dumb-ass. You may not revere Gus Van Sant as I do. Let me help you out; probably his biggest main-stream movie was Good Will Hunting (allegedley written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck of 'What-Have-You-Done-For-Me-Lately fame), but he also directed To Die For with Nicole Kidman, and My Own Private Idaho with Keanu Reeves and the late, great River Phoenix.

Make no mistake Gus Van Sant has had a career and will continue to do so, and it feels like he's hit his artistic stride; stories told in a non-traditional fashion, focusing on the emotional aspects, incorporating eclectic musical scores, and sticking to the fucken basics. It'll be interesting to see how he incorporates his vision into the upcoming Harvey Milk biography starring Sean Penn. It should be released in the fall of '08, and will be his first commercial film since 2000's Finding Forrester.

And in case you didn't know the film is about pioneering gay-rights activist Harvey Milk. Look him up. I'm really looking forward to this film!

But back to Paranoid Park! I know I spent alot of time talking about the director instead of the film, but this is a beautiful, sensitive film about being a kid. Forget the death. Paranoid Park made me see the world through my 15 year old eyes and I missed it. The difficult, confusing emotions, the... god, just how fucking hard it was to say what you wanted to say. I loved this film. I hope you will too. Rent it; it's at your stupid Blockbusters or Rogers store now.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall -A Review-

There's been a revolution in the date-movie genre and things are only getting better! Where the story was always slanted to the weepy and girly, and men had to tuck their balls between they're legs, now the boys can proudly enter a cinema with a lady and laugh his ass off at the funny parts and be comfortable while his woman cries at the romantic shit. Except now the guy is interested in the romantic shit! And the girl can laugh at the toilet humour! Everyone's happy and they go home and have satisfying sex. Society is back on track. Okay, that may be going a bit far, but the future will recognize Judd Apatow as a groundbreaking filmmaker who started quietly and snuck up behind us to challenge our view of the 'date movie' and attempt to show us some common ground. Case in point; Knocked Up. Writer/Director Apatow brings us the story of a loser dude and a winner chick who drunkenly make love only to accidentally concieve a child. They have their ups and downs. Do they make it work? Let me just say both the dudes and the chicks are satisfied. Lots of fart humour, lots of pot smoking, and lots of realistic-feeling romance.

Of course before that there was the phenom Superbad. A couple of horny teens trying to score booze for a party find love. Aww. Everyone's happy!

Now look at Forgetting Sarah Marshall!

Written by star Jason Segel, and produced by Apatow, the story is about lovable schlub Peter (Segel), and his girlfriend Sarah (Kristen Bell). One day out of the blue Sarah breaks up with Peter and he's devestated. On the advice of his half-brother (played to the hilt by Bill Hader) Peter goes to a Hawaiian resort he once heard mentioned by Sarah, only to find she's staying there with her new boyfriend, rockstar Aldous Snow (the hysterically over the top British comedian Russel Brand). At first they clash, but with the help of a sympathetic hotel desk girl (Mila Kunis at her anti-That 70's Show-best!) he manages to unwind, have fun, and fall in love again. But does he fall in love? And with who? Peter is torn between his budding feelings for Rachel (Kunis), and his unresolved feelings for Sarah.

The result is as natural as it is surprising. This is where the Apatow Revolution shows it's colours! As much as you grow to care for all these characters you never know where they'll end up until they tell you. Noone is demonized, with one possible exception, but I'll spare the spoiler! In the end I felt like everyone was where they should be, which is unusual for a date movie. They're supposed to be so formulaic aren't they? Or was this a lad's comedy? Goofy and offensive in all the right ways... uhm, ending the way the dude would want! YEAH!!

Fuck it. Just enjoy. Maybe we're moving into a new era of comedy where Mike Myers doesn't get to make the same movie over and over and still be succesful. Yeah, I laughed at the Austin Powers movies. And then I saw The Love Guru. *sigh*

I think, with Apatow's influence, young people's comedies are moving in a positive direction, and I'll happily follow along as a former young person who is actually the current age of the dudes writing this stuff! Maybe Generation X is good for something after all!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall hits the streets on Sept. 30, '08. You might still find it in limited theatres.

xo

Doomsday -A DVD Review-

I'm a sucker for this type of movie, but I won't be fucked with. In the genre of end-of-the-world type films this one is one of the best I've seen.

Doomsday, written and directed by Neil Marshall, is a great example of what can happen if you take the best bits of action films, zombie films (this is NOT a zombie film!), and thrillers and mix them with hardcore violence and a touch of drama. Heads roll! Literally!!! Over and over!!!!

Let's get right to it; it's 2008 and a virus has killed most of the population of Scotland. The U.K., in response to the ensuing anarchy, has quarantined the entire country behind a giant wall and the military guards this wall with iron fists. The virus MUST be contained at all costs.

Flash forward to 2035 and the virus has threatened to resurface in London. The Prime Minister has decided to send a military team into Glasgow to find the last survivors, among whom is a doctor reputed to be the only man who can find a cure. The team, headed by Major Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra), is told if they can't find said cure then don't come back. As the narrator tells us, "it's medieval up there!". It sure as fuck is! Many more survived than expected and they've started from scratch, creating a brutal, cannibalistic culture of punk rock types, circa 1970. I'm talkin' mohawks, pins in noses, dance parties (!), very pseudo Mad Max.

Crazy non-stop action ensues in pursuit of the good doctor, played by a menacing Malcolm McDowell. No spoilers here.

Doomsday was made in 2008 and was just released on DVD. I don't know if you heard of it but I didn't. I wish I had cos I'd have seen it sooner!

Rottentomatoes.com gave it a well deserved (for the genre) 48%.

Here's the shit; the story unfolds in quick, neat and complete scenes which move always forward. The premise is explained quickly but in enough detail that you know what you're getting into. When we fast-forward to the future, which is most of the movie, we are again brought up to speed efficiently before all hell -and MUCH action- breaks loose. And when I say 'much action', I mean me leaning forward with one hand over my mouth and the other clutching my armrest kinda 'much action'.

Rhona Mitra (The Number 23, Skinwalkers), is at first a bit affected as the rebel-with-nothing-to-lose Maj. Sinclair but quickly becomes the rock hard hero you cheer for under your breath so as not to miss anything onscreen. She has no problem sword fighting, kick-boxing, chopping, slicing, climbing, jumping, you name it! She kicks ass! Her character development exists wholly offscreen; in the prologue when her mother leaves her as a child to be saved by the military, sacrificing herself. It's a beautiful scene and had me hooked. As an adult she doesn't have any more redeeming qualities except that you're rooting not so much for her but for her to accomplish her mission. And the fact that she's an effective leader of her team. Mostly.

The body count is high, and all the deaths are fun. Some outright twisted! The special effects are so good that at several points I gasped out loud amazed that what I was watching was just a movie. The scene in the train station when the biker flips over the turnstiles is so messed up I can't believe noone died making this picture! The violence is very graphic. The action -from fight scenes with swords to car chases- is really well done. It's like you just sat down in a rollercoaster and someone tells you a kid was killed on this ride last week. You know it should be safe but you're still scared shitless and enjoying it at the same time. Or was it just me?

Rent this movie NOW if you like good action/thrillers!

Thats it for this review. I might go watch it again!

The Exorcism Of Emily Rose -A DVD Review-

Yeah, okay I realize I'm not exactly on the forefront of film reviews if I keep doing DVDs, but a lot of people like myself haven't seen many of the films in theatre so I'm trying to wade through what's worth seeing.

As for Emily...

The Exorcism Of Emily Rose is not a bad film. Rottentomatoes.com gives it a surprising 44% based on 149 reviews. Not bad. Plus my guy Roger Ebert gaves it his patented 'Thumbs Up'! Wa-wa-wee-wow!

I liked it. It gave me the creeps and worked almost like a textbook version of a supernatural thriller "based on a true story". Aside from the performances of Laura Linney (always fantastic!) and Tom Wilkinson (Oscar's workhorse) the whole affair was fun and engaging at the time but ultimately forgettable.

First, some perspective; any film, especially one based on supernatural events, LOVEs to tag it "based on a true story". In this case the word "based"'s meaning is looser than the underpants of someone, possibly a woman, who has recently had liposuction surgery but has not yet bought new underpants. It's pretty loose!

I'll include a link to the Wikipedia entry here, but basically a young, devout German girl named Anneliese Michel with psychiatric disturbances decided that her depression was a result of demonic possession and asked to be exorcised by a priest. That priest, in concert with her parents performed said ritual and later the girl died, the official autopsy declaring "malnutrition and dehydration" after almost an entire year of starvation due to the exorcism.

Now, to The Exorcism Of you-know-who...

Emily Rose's story is told in courtroom flashbacks, as the trial of the priest alleged to be responsible for negligence in her death is on trial. We are given various medical reasons for her death by the state prosecution, and the defense, sponsored by the archdiocese, is flailing to offer a succesful albeit conservative defense. They fear revelations about the use of exorcisms in this day and age would be an embarrassment. Gee, really?

The defense attorney, Erin Bruner, played by the incredible Laura Linney, is mired in her own problems as her flagship case won just months earlier in defense of a murderer has been shown to be a sham. He has killed again upon his release. Uh-oh! And a partnership at her firm is riding on this win! All she has to do is win the case without putting the priest on the stand. Simple enough, right? Of course all he wants is to tell Emily's story on the stand, so immersed is he in his belief system.

An interesting trial ensues though mired in minor plot-holes that any trained lawyer would've driven through with a Mack truck. However the tension was maintained at just the right level to let those minor imperfections pass almost unnoticed.

Some superficial questions were asked; do you believe in the spiritual realm? Even if you don't, do you believe someone else might so passionately that it could lead to their death? Does that passionate belief validate the argument for the spiritual?

All is well and good, but at the end of the day The Exorcism Of Emily Rose was a very good attempt at a fascinating story. I'd recommend seeing it for the hell of it, like if you can't find anything else at the video store (I hate when that happens!). Otherwise, see the obvious first choice, The Exorcist. Even if you've seen it before. Otherwise see this. It isn't horrible, it just isn't great.

P.S. I read that a more faithful version of Anneliese Michel's story was told in the German Requiem. I have not seen it. Yet. It is currently available on amazon.com as is The Exorcism Of Emily Rose.

Stay -A DVD Review-

There's nothing I hate more than a predictable film. This is not one.

Stay, directed by Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Monster's Ball) and starring Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, and Ryan Gosling is a mind-bending thriller on par with some of the greatest thrillers of the past ten years.

I've seen three other films that, while viewing, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. I thought maybe I was asleep and dreaming the insanity I saw onscreen because of it's otherworldliness. Those films are David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, Christopher Nolan's Memento, and Brad Anderson's The Machinist. Stay is so unsettling and beautiful I would rank it up there with the previous mentioned films because I know it will stay with me for a long time.

Here's the deal; Ewan McGregor plays a psychiatrist who takes on a patient previously treated by a colleague who has taken time off for 'exhaustion'. The patient, Ryan Gosling, is a student of art who has decided to commit suicide in three days. McGregor must save the boy before he follows through on the threat at the cost of his own sanity. The stakes are slightly higher for him because his girlfriend, Naomi Watts, attempted suicide years earlier, and so he wants desperately to intervene in Henry's (Gosling's) case.

The film is visually stunning. Scene transitions are done so artfully and creatively, and special effects are used not to make stunts more believable but to enhance the background. The result is stunning!

Although perhaps thin, the story is engrossing with help from the visuals. That aspect is what makes this a truly genius film for me, because all aspects of the filmmaking process are relied upon equally.

One thing I couldn't help notice is that the principal cast is all foreigners playing americans, with the exception of Gosling, whose Canadian accent isn't an issue. Ewan McGregor is Scottish, Watts is Australian, and Bob Hoskins (who appears in a small but pivitol role) is English. They all cover american accents flawlessly.

McGregor's performance is typically brilliant, and the rest more than add to the perfection.

This film isn't for everyone. Rottentomatoes.com gave it a sad 26%, but Roger Ebert, in whom's opinion I place great stock, said, "When the movie is over, and we know all that is to be known, it deserves some thought." He gave the film three and a half stars.

As Henry, Gosling is a tragic figure, tormented by voices and images of the carcrash that killed (?) his parents. He is a sad boy tortured by his mind and wholly believable at all times. I wanted to cry for him more than once. As Lila, Watts is newly healthy after a failed suicide attempt. She's dating Sam (McGregor), and persuing her career as an artist. Her character is sad, but strong, and she gives the film a soft, beating heart. McGregor is Sam, a psychiatrist used to treating rich people for depression suddenly faced with a suicidal student and although not out of his league he's certainly challenged. Henry asks how to tell the difference between reality and the voices in his head, and Sam thinks he can explain. He soon realizes he doesn't know how to answer. Brilliance ensues.

Again, I don't recommend this film for everyone, but if you like any of the films I mentioned in the first paragraph you might want to give this a try.

I expect big things from director Marc Forster. He's a fucking genius when it comes to putting together a film. I can't wait for his next film. I'll be looking.

This film was released in 2005 and made no blip on my radar. I saw the video cover at my local news agent and picked it up for the cast. Don't make the same mistake. Seek it out. It'll blow yer mind!

Funny Games U.S.A. -A DVD Review

If you're like me you hate the idea of a foreign film being remade just to cater to american audiences. "Lazy americans can't appreciate a good film if they have to read subtitles!" I felt the same way when I heard Funny Games was being remade from the original German. I thought "Crap! Another import that should've been treated better than it will be by Hollywood!" I was wrong for several reasons.

First of all, the original was written and directed by Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke, director of the excellent french language Cache, starring Juliette Binoche. If you saw it, you don't know what you're in for here.

Well, the remake is done shot-for-shot by the man himself and loses nothing in translation.

As the story goes a couple and their young son travel to the lake to spend their vacation boating and playing golf with friends. When a polite young man shows up on their doorstep asking to borrow eggs the wife tries to accomodate him, but clearly, once he's been joined by his companion, the visitor has more on his mind than eggs. What ensues is a vicious, psychological series of games meant to torture and frighten the family.

Why does it work?

One of the reasons this film (and the original) is so effective is thanks to the director. I'm sure he holds the Danish principles of Dogme 95 at high esteem. Long, single, lingering shots are respected, as is the idea of not using an ambient soundtrack. Instead all music and sound are rooted in the moment. There's no building crescendo when something bad is about to happen as a cue to the audience, instead it just fucking happens.

Second, the lighting is realistic. In one scene one of the characters says "it's too dark" and he turns on a light to illuminate that which before was only a shadowy secret.

Now if you're a strict adherent to the Dogme 95 manifesto you'll find fault with this film, but I only said I believe Haneke thought about it. I don't think he tried to use it wholly.

Third, the pacing is intentionally slow. I'm biased to films like this (see my reviews of Gus Van Sant!) especially when they unfold as quickly and realistically as Funny Games U.S.A. There's more time for character development and tension, both of which this film has in spades.

The theme of male impotence is strong here. I imagine any man watching this film can relate to Tim Roth's character, and any woman to Naomi Campbell's character for different and similar reasons. Both are strong characters but their roles are turned on their ears and we as an audience are forced to confront the roles of protector and victim in ways no other film has done in recent memory. We're left frightened, humiliated, powerless, and looking to both protaganists to do... something! Anything!

Without spoiling, theres a scene 3/4s through where one victim asks the other for forgiveness. Heartbreaking!

Funny Games U.S.A. is available on DVD now. Rent it. It's better than most of the manufactured crap that poses as 'thriller' out there.

Also see Haneke's Cache. If you can read the subtitles you'll be fine, and you'll see a wicked film.

If you're interested in learning more about Dogme 95, go here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogme_95

xo