THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 14, 1995 TAG: 9510130065
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie Review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
``STRANGE DAYS'' is set in a Los Angeles in which race relations are at a near-crisis. People cringe behind locked doors and depend on TV for their view of life. They live in a war zone. Fear and paranoia reign in a world gone mad.
In the wake of recent headlines, these strange days may seem familiar. The movie, though, is set in the near future: New Year's Eve 1999. Although the sci-fi future may give you a little breathing space, it by no means lets you off the hook. ``Strange Days'' gets in your face and won't back off.
Can you take it? Do you want to take it?
``Strange Days'' will divide audiences in the coming weeks. While no one is going to quite like it in the conventional sense, everyone is going to have to admit it is a bold and daring effort to stretch the action genre beyond the superficial to the level of political statement. It is a tale of redemption that isn't quite redeemed.
Ralph Fiennes (``Quiz Show,'' ``Schindler's List'') plays Lenny Nero, the lowlife Everyman. It would be difficult to call him a ``hero.'' He's a former cop who now sells illegal ``playbacks'' that provide ``virtual violence'' experiences. People can experience the sensation of being rapists, murderers, sex, violence.
What we have is the classic film noir plot reset amid a lot of flashing lights and fancy camera work. Lenny is the loner-outcast, the guy who just wants to be left alone to make a crooked buck. He even has the conventional gun-moll girlfriend.
Actually, she's his ex - a sluttish rock wailer played by pouting, petulant Juliette Lewis. She's ditched him for a richer guy. Even if she does play the same role over and over, Lewis is such an exhibitionist it's impossible to look away. Her singing voice is a woeful howl that fits the overwrought soundtrack.
Lenny wants her back, but he's preoccupied with the death of a prostitute who was one of his on-line performers. Floating around somewhere is the most overused plot device in recent movies - a mysterious disc with much-wanted information on it.
Fiennes seems more pathetic than heroic. He's mastered his American accent, yet still comes off as more ``European.'' Even with greasy, long hair, he looks as if he might pour tea at any moment.
Angela Bassett, a single mother who makes a living by driving an armored limousine, is the moral center of the film. She steals the film, mainly because we want a character this strong to come along.
Director Kathryn Bigelow gives the movie a stylish, frantic look that makes it look more important than it is. She's a fan of action films, but she's also interested in more. Will the year 2000 be the end of the Earth? If so, why bother living in this hell? She can't resist filming those playback scenes as if the audience is the camera. They're more likely to give you a headache than a sensual experience.
But will anyone pay to sit through this? Those who couldn't take the truly original ``True Romance'' or ``Natural Born Killers,'' which had style but went too far, are advised to avoid this one.
``Strange Days'' is an important film, albeit an unpleasant one. It's arty touches and negative stance may keep you at a distance. Still, if you want to be on the cutting edge of what movies can do to threaten the yell out of you, it must be seen.
Afterward, rush home and take a shower, preferably a cold one. ILLUSTRATION: 20TH CENTURY FOX
Ralph Fiennes finds himself in a maze of paranoia and murder in
"Strange Days."
"STRANGE DAYS"
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Screenplay: James Cameron and Jay Cocks
MPAA rating: R (violence, rape, murder)
Mal's rating: ***
by CNB