Strange Days (1995)

Director:

Kathryn Bigelow

Writers (WGA):

James Cameron (story)
James Cameron (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

13 lokakuu 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Fantasy | Music | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

you know you want it

Plot:

A former cop turned street-hustler accidentally uncovers a police conspiracy in 1999 Los Angeles.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Rape | Police | Conspiracy | Death

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Ralph Fiennes	...	Lenny Nero
Angela Bassett	...	Lornette 'Mace' Mason
Juliette Lewis	...	Faith Justin
Tom Sizemore	...	Max Peltier
Michael Wincott	...	Philo Gant
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Burton Steckler
Glenn Plummer	...	Jeriko One
Brigitte Bako	...	Iris
Richard Edson	...	Tick
William Fichtner	...	Dwayne Engelman
Josef Sommer	...	Palmer Strickland
Joe Urla	...	Keith
Nicky Katt	...	Joey Corto
Michael Jace	...	Wade Beemer
Louise LeCavalier	...	Cindy 'Vita' Minh

MPAA:

Rated R for intense disturbing violence, sexuality and pervasive strong language.

Runtime:

145 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | Iceland:16 | Canada:R (DVD rating) | South Korea:18 | France:-16 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Belgium:KNT | Chile:18 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Singapore:R21

Filming Locations:

Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Lightstorm Entertainment

Trivia:

James Cameron did extensive editing work, especially on the final action sequences, but he could not be credited because he was not in the editors union. He joined before making Titanic (1997) and is credited as an editor on that film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: As Max hangs from Lenny's tie, the camera pans up and the buckle of the crane holding the safety wire is clearly visible behind Lenny's head.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lenny Nero: Yeah, boot it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in China White Serpentine (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Rebuke

Strange, Imaginative, Underrated Film

`Strange Days', one of many films made in the mid- to late-1990s that chose to dabble in `the near future of the year 2000', not only still looks good in the year 2001, but holds its own as a darn good film. A mix of `Blade Runner' film noir and uncomfortable realism, `Strange Days' has the audacity to tackle some disturbing topics and to actually tell an interesting tale in the process.

Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes) is a black market peddler of VR films - memory implants that are downloaded directly into the brain, allowing a person to vicariously sample someone else's experiences. The VR chips are like drugs, as people find the shared virtual experiences far better than those they find in their own lives. Lenny, who's both dealer and addict, is jarred back into reality when one of his friends is killed in vicious fashion - and the experience is captured on a VR film. Lenny comes to believe that his ex-girlfriend Faith (Juliette Lewis) may be next on the killer's list, so he begins his own search for the killer, partly to prevent anything bad from happening to Faith . . . and partly to impress Faith, and possibly win her back.

Visually, `Strange Days' is terrific - it's hard to see how this film could be better in that department, even if James Cameron had directed the film himself. Some of the shots are astounding, such as a point-of-view clip of a man running along a rooftop and jumping to his death, then another simple clip of a woman on a date . . . it's part of a VR film `sampling', one that gives the audience a taste of why the characters in `Strange Days' think the films are so real, and so voyeuristic. Combine that with the way other things are filmed in `Strange Days' - the close-up look of Lenny's face as he samples past memories through VR films, the utter sweeping chaos of a riot as shot from high above - director Kathryn Bigalow creates a film that's visually mesmerizing. The designers and special effects guys really went to town, and should be given full credit for creating an outstanding, memorable look for `Strange Days'.

Ralph Fiennes is awesome as Lenny - he's scummy and underhanded enough to keep himself from ever being a true hero, but he imbues Lenny with enough affable charm and backbone to make him likeable nonetheless. The rest of the cast falls short of Fiennes' great performance, though - Angela Bassett is decent as limo driver/armed muscle Mace, but Juliette Lewis is forgettable as Faith (and considering that she's supposed to be the love of Lenny's life, that drags the film down), and Tom Sizemore is more annoying than menacing as villain Max Peltier. The story, while highly original, is uneven as well - certain plot points get abandoned for no reason, and sometimes the characters' motivations really don't make any sense at all, save to advance the story into the next scene. The quick pacing of the film and its imaginative look help to gloss over these weaknesses, but they're still there, just the same.

Inventive and daring, `Strange Days' is a solid movie, falling short of true greatness only because of the awkward execution of some brilliant ideas. Still, it's very entertaining, and definitely worth viewing, especially if you're a fan of sci-fi films. Grade: B/B+