The issue isn't whether you're paranoid, but whether you're paranoid enough.Strange Days
Admittedly a flawed masterpiece, Strange Days has to be acknowledged as a complete departure from the usual space opera/alien monster big screen science fiction film. James Cameron's script is a bit uneven, but the base premise of memory as a saleable commodity is an interesting one - although it's unfortunate that the plot moves away from that premise into a sort of cyberpunk whodunnit. And surprisingly (at least to me) it's such a compact, almost intimate script, considering that I associate Cameron with so many large and elaborate projects.
That sort of "yes, but, although" analysis is characteristic of the ambiguity of the film, which garnered good responses from critics but didn't do well at the box office. In spite of its flaws, I've always found it very watchable: Kathryn Bigelow's direction is perfectly suited to the material, the cast (a fairly impressive lineup featuring Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis and Tom Sizemore) all do a great job in their respective roles, and it's great to see a science fiction movie that really doesn't need any special effects other than a few elaborate fades. But I have to say that for me, the biggest flaw in Strange Days is the idea that anyone would pick Juliette Lewis over Angela Bassett.
- Sid
P.S. Oh, and happy New Year, everyone, all the best for 2008. One more step into the future...
Sometimes the Space Channel has some odd choices. One wonders "And what does that have to do with sci fi, or even space?"
ReplyDeleteIt may be flawed but what isn't these days. I found it to be quite enjoyable to watch even more than once. It has enough of a plot to keep you interested and all the characters, indeed, did a good job in their rolls.
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