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In the Cut (2003)
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Movie Review by brian 
July 5th, 2008
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a cut above
if looking for mr. goodbar had been made in 2002, you might expect to see something similiar to jane campion's in the cut. as always, just forget everything you know about psychological films or erotic thrillers so you can truly enjoy watching in the cut. before we get started, this is NOT your typical meg ryan vehicle as there is nothing light-hearted or cute here. if you're still interested, keep reading because this film is definately for those of us who want a little something different at the multiplex nowadays. unlike most thrillers in this genre, in the cut is more of a pyschological statement about sexuality as viewed by thinking women & some men or perhaps just a very dark poem. in essence, a woman's sexuality is anything but a true blessing or perhaps it's dark blessing in disguise. either way, i believe it's a terrific film by a genius director who gave us the piano nearly ten years ago. just like the piano, there are scenes of eroticism which will either entice you, haunt you, or just somehow linger in your head for days. most of the scenes aren't as graphic as reviews might suggest but still are very deserving of a medium rare R-rating. no, most parents won't be taking their kids to see this one. also, there is a great deal of graphic dialogue describing sexual activity of all kinds so you may not want to watch this one in mixed company either. again, very atypical of your average run-of-the-mill meg ryan vehicle. one of the greatest things about this film is the lighting & the jerky camera movement which you usually don't see in the mainstream films. trust me, the film makers here knew exactly what effect they were going for & the visuals add to the already gritty plot & the overall disturbing atmosphere of in the cut. as i can't really comment on susanna moore's book, i can only say that i do believe the film would be atleast a decent adaptation of her story considering she was involved quite a bit with the making of the movie. i have been told (which i cannot substantiate) that the movie is actually more graphic than the book which may also shock some viewers. one more interesting trivia piece is that evidentally the film was so graphic that nearly 7 minutes had to trimmed from the original submission just to obtain the R-rating. for those of us who can only see the unedited versions of controversial films like this, we are hoping dvd world will release a special edition sometime down the road. the film starts out with one of the visually stunning openings i've seen in some time & will hold your interest until the last scene. unlike most films, everything you see here serves a purpose in the grand scheme of things. yes, even down to the charm bracelet gift & the wedding rings story told by our protagonist. watch for clues because everything here fits somehow & interlocks beautifully. for those of you who don't like artsy films, you will not be overwhelmed because most ends are tied up when all is said & done so this may have a broader appeal than the piano or other great campion films in this repect. it's difficult to say more without giving away too much of the plot & the overall viewing experience but i will say that this is one of my favorite films & i have a new respect for meg ryan that i never really had before.
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