Sheba
04-04-2007, 11:28 AM
We went to see this for my birthday.
I've waited on posting about it because I had to work some of it out in my head - yes it's that convoluted.
Is it a bit of cheezy fluff that takes full advantage of Miss Thang in her white cotton briefs and barely there cut off shirt? oh yes. Is it about some unorthodox method concocted to "cure" a nymphomaniac which may or may have not been successful? most certainly. But...it's quite a bit more than that.
I had to ponder it for awhile because I wasn't sure if what *I* got out out of it was intended. If it was, then it was subtle and freaking BRILLIANT and I love it, it's still disturbing in a world where the characters that entertain us for about 2 hours are pretty much cut & dried - these are not.
Almost every single character in there shows a complex duality that to me seemed to represent the possible best/worst they could be. The nature of man itself, so to speak...ultimate good or ultimate evil.
Was Samuel really a down on his luck guy trying to do the right thing by a beat up girl tossed out in front of his house? on one hand yes - I think his intentions were sincere. But on the other hand...he's a bad bad man and his wickedness shows. During the progession of their relationship you begin to see signs of the "old" him coming strongly to the fore, that his wife had probably fallen in love with but for some reason he tucked away because it was "bad".
Christine's character was multi-dimensionally complex = poor little slut, driven to sleeping with anything that would have her because of childhood abuse she tried SO hard to fight it...or did she? in some scenes it's obvious that not only did she enjoy her slut-ness but wallowed in it.
Other characters show this duality as well, ultimate goodness/ultimate evil to some degree.
The timeline allowed for this film was unfortunate. A mere slice, a week. Near the end time speeds up and everything happens much more quickly. You get the feeling that tho things are progressing as they should with Christine's development, perhaps they are reaching a level where Samuel cannot relate to her - or perhaps he's getting bored with it. In any case the decision to continue is taken out of his hands by the return of the anxiety ridden boyfriend, Justin. Who was robbed by having the weakest character in the movie, IMHO. But - again perhaps that was intended.
I was dissatisfied with the ending, tho for the characters involved it WAS realistic, what else could they do but ride off into the sunset to begin their lives, hijacked along the way by one of Justin's anxiety attacks?
What's telling tho is in those final scenes when she is grappling with her inner demon, and controls it...then turns to look at Justin still grappling with HIS demon - and not controlling it. The look on her face, the merest touch of impatience yet acceptance, and she does what she has to to comfort him and pull him away from his crisis. It crystalizes then what has been niggling me throughout the movie. Neither of them really love the other. She believes he is the only one who can control her - or she did til she learned a different method (still to be perfected) with Samuel's teachings. And he (Justin) just wants her because she "fixes" him. Hmmm.
So even then Christine is the survivor, she IS the stronger of the two - I wouldn't imagine them having a long future together, which is what one would think as the credits are closing because it's a happy ending right? Not hardly.
Definately on my "get for the DVD collection list" :right:
I've waited on posting about it because I had to work some of it out in my head - yes it's that convoluted.
Is it a bit of cheezy fluff that takes full advantage of Miss Thang in her white cotton briefs and barely there cut off shirt? oh yes. Is it about some unorthodox method concocted to "cure" a nymphomaniac which may or may have not been successful? most certainly. But...it's quite a bit more than that.
I had to ponder it for awhile because I wasn't sure if what *I* got out out of it was intended. If it was, then it was subtle and freaking BRILLIANT and I love it, it's still disturbing in a world where the characters that entertain us for about 2 hours are pretty much cut & dried - these are not.
Almost every single character in there shows a complex duality that to me seemed to represent the possible best/worst they could be. The nature of man itself, so to speak...ultimate good or ultimate evil.
Was Samuel really a down on his luck guy trying to do the right thing by a beat up girl tossed out in front of his house? on one hand yes - I think his intentions were sincere. But on the other hand...he's a bad bad man and his wickedness shows. During the progession of their relationship you begin to see signs of the "old" him coming strongly to the fore, that his wife had probably fallen in love with but for some reason he tucked away because it was "bad".
Christine's character was multi-dimensionally complex = poor little slut, driven to sleeping with anything that would have her because of childhood abuse she tried SO hard to fight it...or did she? in some scenes it's obvious that not only did she enjoy her slut-ness but wallowed in it.
Other characters show this duality as well, ultimate goodness/ultimate evil to some degree.
The timeline allowed for this film was unfortunate. A mere slice, a week. Near the end time speeds up and everything happens much more quickly. You get the feeling that tho things are progressing as they should with Christine's development, perhaps they are reaching a level where Samuel cannot relate to her - or perhaps he's getting bored with it. In any case the decision to continue is taken out of his hands by the return of the anxiety ridden boyfriend, Justin. Who was robbed by having the weakest character in the movie, IMHO. But - again perhaps that was intended.
I was dissatisfied with the ending, tho for the characters involved it WAS realistic, what else could they do but ride off into the sunset to begin their lives, hijacked along the way by one of Justin's anxiety attacks?
What's telling tho is in those final scenes when she is grappling with her inner demon, and controls it...then turns to look at Justin still grappling with HIS demon - and not controlling it. The look on her face, the merest touch of impatience yet acceptance, and she does what she has to to comfort him and pull him away from his crisis. It crystalizes then what has been niggling me throughout the movie. Neither of them really love the other. She believes he is the only one who can control her - or she did til she learned a different method (still to be perfected) with Samuel's teachings. And he (Justin) just wants her because she "fixes" him. Hmmm.
So even then Christine is the survivor, she IS the stronger of the two - I wouldn't imagine them having a long future together, which is what one would think as the credits are closing because it's a happy ending right? Not hardly.
Definately on my "get for the DVD collection list" :right: