Once again Tommy Terror has brought us a look at a film that... Well, most people have never heard of, but that cried out to him to let US know about it. But for those of us that have been following director Mike Figgis' career with a raised eyebrow and a ticket in hand... Well this is one of the films to look out for in the Post-Star Wars realm of release. The film is supposed to be released in the US on May 28th as far as I know.... Here's Tommy...
I just came from one of the best films I've ever seen. "THE LOSS OF SEXUAL
INNOCENCE" is a breathtakingly subtle and evocative piece of work told in
little vignettes that create an overwhelmingly haunting story. The scenes
each pack an unbelievable wallop on their own - twins are reunited, a young
man captures his girlfriend cheating, a bllind woman is taunted and strikes
back. From the opening tale Mike Figgis establishes a striking pattern with
very little exposition beyond what the camera silently observes - a boy
follows a girl in a cornfield in Africa… close-ups on feet travelling,
clothing disappearing in the green, he follows her to a building and spies as
she recites lessons, close-up of eyes straining from shutters, an old man
listening and yawning… bit by bit the camera reveals more and more
information until we are awakened to the darker ramifications of the moment
and Figgis finishes us off with a long shot that shows all in literal
perspective. He repeats this basic effective set-up throughout and the
title's theme permeates each frame.
This is truly an art film, if you hated THE THIN RED LINE for it's lack of
definition, if you need everything spelled out for you, if you hate thinking
for yourself - then perhaps this is not for you. But trust me, if you stick
this one out, it pays off in a way that THIN RED LINE never did and I would
find it hard to imagine anyone not being affected.
The initial artsiness made me apprehensive - it reminded me of Bertolucci's
new work "BESIEGED" which opens in a few weeks, and which was a labroriously
affected film that made me long for his "THE CONFORMIST" days… well, "THE
LOSS OF INNOCENCE" is right up there with "THE CONFORMIST" in many, many
ways.
The stories are all linked to Nic, an English director shown in no specific
order at 5, 12, 16 and as a full grown man played by Julian Sands, who is
handsomely subdued here. Jonathon Rhys Meyers leaves all that VELVET GOLDMINE
posing behind and submerses himself to the chores at hand, convincing as a
glib and horny, awkward teenage Nic. Almodovar favorite Rossy De Palma's
cameo is a sight for sore eyes, and TRAINSPOTTING's Kelly MacDonald functions
favorably as Nic's pensive, quietly expressive wife. Particularly stirring is
Saffron Burrows as the twins - a model-type with genuine depth, if you
haven't caught her act yet in WING COMMANDER, CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, or IN THE
NAME OF THE FATHER, you will - she's bound to become another mainstream
masturbatory fantasy.
Who knew Mike Figgis was capable of such experimental masterpiecing? - with
films like STORMY MONDAY, INTERNAL AFFAIRS, ONE NIGHT STAND - and the
deservedly acclaimed but conventionally presented LEAVING LAS VEGAS - you'd
never think his background was PERFORMANCE ART, developing this new creation
from bits and pieces of his early abstract days.
And any film that presents us with a recurring metaphor involving a biracial
Adam and Eve who eat grass and skinny dip in lazy stimulated repose, only to
break cherry and wake to society's wrath, scores points for sexy archetypical
irrelevance.
You gotta see it to achieve it. THE LOSS OF SEXUAL INNOCENCE opens in.. damn
press notes don't say.. well it opens. Don't miss out, geekboys and
geekgirls.
Later gaze,
Tommy Terror
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