Warning - this post contains spoilers and profanity
Hmm, I thought about maybe starting a new thread for this subject, but I guess the Mods can do their stuff should anybody object too much. I for one feel that the following sits nicely in the whole "Video Nasty" continua.
Firstly, I must start out by saying that I enjoy "challenging" cinema, hence I have seen a number of movies banned by the BBFC, or cut almost out of recognition. I have had to commit what are, at least technically, illegal acts to obtain some of these movies in their native state. At other times I've been at parties / friends houses and have watched them there.
I'm a 28 year old professional adult, no convictions, and don't think I have any psychological disorders, nor do I feel in any way marginalized, or antipathetic towards society or other people specifically (apart from the usual disagreements i have with friends and colleagues). Nor, really, would I call myself a voyeur, other than in the most general sense.
However I have watched both of Lenzi's "Cannibal" movies, Passolini's "Salo" (amongst others of his), Mou's "Men Behind The Sun", Zarthi's "I Spit on Your Grave", Mcnaughton’s “Henry: Portrait of a serial killer”, and all the other usual -Driller Killer, Texas Chainsaw et al - Suspects.
Hence, when I heard about this French piece of cinematic shit that has been banned in Oz, another must see was added to the list. Duly acquiring the movie, I watched it on Wednesday night with my brother and his flat mate. So what did I think?
Firstly, I've got to say that this is pretty artlessly directed. All digitally filmed, you can tell that the budget is probably not that far into 6 figures USD. Little plot to speak of and some stilted dialogue adds to the feeling that the director – surprisingly enough (to me at least) a women - didn’t really have much of an idea about offering too deep a study of human reaction to intolerable situations. Thirdly, there's a shit load of hard-core sex. Not just in the penetrative rape scene that occurs 5-10 minutes into the picture, but scattered liberally throughout the piece.
Reviews on IMDB seem to say that the sex is pointless, not there as a device, or as an enhancement to the plot, but more like "a 4 year old who's discovered his first rude word" (i quoted that bit - thanks IMDB).
I don't know about that. Indeed I think the whole point of the movie (casual violence, casual drug abuse, casual sex) is; at least in the eyes of the two young women involved, there isn't much point to anything because by the time we get to meet our protagonists they're so fucked up and desensitised that nothing can bring them back from the brink. Indeed after the rape one of the women, reacting to her friend who is distraught at what has just happened, replies "there's nothing I keep in my $%£* that those guys have taken". Powerful stuff.
Some typically French dialogue can be found in this movie-lite (the whole thing coming in at a sylph like 70 Minutes), including such lines as “I see self-immolation as fittingly pretentious”??
On the plus side, there are some nice cinematic touches. A scene with a laser sight, the last resting place of one of our heroines, and a filler scene with a huge oil refinery / nuclear power station are all impressive looking.
More suprisingly than this, there are a couple of genuinely funny pieces of script.
The violence is in your face, but not excessive - more "Clockwork Orange" than "make them die slowly".
Finally, the acting skills of the leads are impressive, especially seeing as they are Euro Porn Queens. Indeed I have seen a lot of "straight” actresses ham and gurn on a much greater scale in “normal” movies.
Moving swiftly along onto the whole UK censorship issue, this film had only 7 seconds cut for UK theatrical release, relating to the rape. That surprised me, until I talked about it with some friends and realised that pretty much anything goes these days for films, it’s where video / DVD home release comes into play that the scissors are going to be wielded. Either that or give it a R-18 category, highly unlikely for this picture I would hazard. If you have any desire to watch this movie: Go to the cinema, forget the home market version.
In closing ElJubbo gives this film a solid 5.5 overall, with bonus points awarded for opening my somewhat jaded eyes to a movie that has porn in it, without being a porn flick per se, and realising that the term “actress” does apply to the two leads.
Only in France would this film be made. Can anyone imagine Michelle Thorn (or for our US cousins Jenna Jameson) or Adele Stephens in these roles?
Oh and carnaki - Wasn't it Cox's "Repo Man" where the director, incensed by the restrictions placed on the language, got Stanton and Esteves to redub the dialogue with those stupid "made up" swears??