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IN THE CUT **1/2 out of *****
 Genres
2003
Directed by Jane Campion Written by Susanna Moore (novel) Jane Campion and Susanna Moore (screenplay) Stavros Kazantzidis (additional writer) Cast Meg Ryan .... Frannie
Jennifer Jason Leigh .... Pauline Micheal Nuccio .... Frannie's Young Father Alison Nega .... Young Father's Fiancee Dominick Aries .... Attentive Husband Susan Gardner .... Perfect Wife Sharrieff Pugh .... Cornelius Webb Nick Damici .... Detective Rodriguez Heather Litteer .... Angela Sands Kevin Bacon .... John Graham
 | The erotic aspect this picture doesn't
capture is that the engine's running. | For a number of years dating back to the mid 1980s film maker Jane Campion has been well known in New Zealand. She directed a few films including the well-received short film After Hours and her 1989 award-winning feature Sweetie. These gained Campion a certain level of notoriety within the film industry. In 1993 Campion released what is now regarded as her landmark film, The Piano. It was a haunting drama about a mute woman and her daughter, sent to New Zealand for an arranged marriage. The only form of comfort this woman has is her piano. The Piano garnered critical acclaim worldwide, won the Palme d’Or at Cannes (Campion is the only woman to have won this award), and also won three Academy Awards from eight nominations (including one for Campion for Best Original Screenplay). Unfortunately, Campion’s follow-up projects have left a lot to be desired, both Portrait of a Lady and Holy Smoke failed to make a mark, despite their star power. After a four-year break Campion returned to the screen with a project unlike her previous ones, In The Cut, a serial killer film that is both dark and raw. It features fine performances but on the whole doesn’t really break any new ground in the genre.
 | Ryan and Leigh play Diane Keaton
and Goldie Hawn circa 1830. | Based on the best-selling novel by Susanna Moore, In The Cut follows the story of Frannie (Meg Ryan), a lonely teacher who is compiling a slang dictionary. When she arranges to meet a student of hers at a downtown bar she witnesses a prelude to a brutal homicide while looking for the bathroom. Detective Malloy (Mark Ruffalo) and his partner investigate the murder, and after asking Frannie some questions Malloy becomes intrigued by her and asks her out for a drink. But things soon heat up and Frannie has soon entered into a risky erotic liaison that exposes the darker side of passion and the boundaries of obsession. As the investigation continues Frannie remembers small details that lead her to a discovery that not only endangers herself but her sister Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh), and the more she learns about the detective, the more she begins to suspect that he may in some way be connected to the homicide.
Upon release the film generated some mixed reviews. Some panned the film for being nothing but a clichéd thriller with sex thrown in to make it interesting, while others heralded it as a bold work for both Ryan and Campion. As I understand it the DVD features the longer cut, not seen in cinemas, which basically includes more explicit shots.
 | He just doesn't catch on that she's
an Absolut sales rep. | This film is basically a paint-by-numbers thriller that doesn’t bring anything new to the table. However, the film does have its saving grace; the performances from both Ryan and Ruffalo are quite genuine and the two share a chemistry that is very believable. Unfortunately, the semi soft-core porn masks Ryan’s performance. But if you put that aside (I know it may be difficult) you’ll find a wonderful performance that seems both vulnerable and strong, especially during the scenes she shares with Ruffalo. Additionally, the colour scheme and photography match the mood quite well and add a heightened sense of danger to the overall tone of the film. I did think that the film is a tad too long for what it is, there were too many long shots that could have been cut along with the sub-plot involving an ex-boyfriend/stalker John Graham (Kevin Bacon). Although Bacon’s performance was fantastic, the sub-plot never went anywhere and could have been dropped. Although I have not seen the shorter theatrical version, it leaves me wondering whether that version is actually any better simply because of its shorter running time. Finger_Of_DOOM's reviews also appear on DVD Compare, where they include details of the DVD release. For this review click here.
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