Customer Reviews

In the Cut (Uncut Director's Edition)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(52)

 

 

Because I hated the book, I was curious to see how they would make it into a film. Then I learned Jane Campion was directing, and was intrigued. Halfway through, I still wasn't impressed, but I waited. There is a quiet beauty to the film. The way Campion captures small details, like the way the protagonist would see them. I think it would have been horrible if it was completely true to the book. The additions are what make this film. The poetry in the subway. The garden outside her window. Meg Ryan playing against type. Mark Ruffalo is wonderful in his role, not giving the end away. And I loved the ending. I felt unresolved at the end of the book, and this ending made me happy.
This movie is not for everyone. There is a lot of gore, and violence, and sex, but I think it was done well. But, I think attention was payed to the important things in the character's life. In some ways, I like it more every time I see it.

A good thriller but lacking the police expertise we expect from thrillers today. It all hinges on one detail that the main woman knows and does not communicate to the main cop : a tattoo that this main cop wears. She is of course right to believe this is a detail that identifies the killer, but she is wrong because there is nothing more or less common than one particular tattoo. And she causes at least one death and puts herself in jeopardy. The rhythm of the film is intense and intensely punctuated with sex, or sexually explicit scenes, though they remain tamed in spite of this explicitness. The point is to know why she makes this mistake of not telling the cop the element that identifies the killer. Because she thinks that particular cop is the criminal ? That's too simple. In fact there is in her the common reaction that leads most people to not telling the cops what they know because they do not trust them, what's more if there is something ambiguous about one particular cop. But that has to be still a lot more deeper with this particular girl. She is typical of a mature woman in one big city like New York : to be autonomous and independent from men, not to be afraid of anything, particularly danger, etc. In a word to keep one's business to oneself, one's thoughts secret and one's doubts or suspicion unrevealed. This kind of internalized feeling and attitude of independence and freedom can become extremely dangerous, particularly for women, and that is the message of the film. Luckily she had the gun of her cop-friend at the right minute and time. But besides this warning to women, the police work of the film is reduced to little because of this coyness that blocks any kind of standard police investigation : it is true that if the cop had known that little detail the case would have been closed in about two quarters of one hour, i.e. in ten minutes on the screen.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Paris Dauphine & University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne

This is an example of a less than mediocre detective's movie. The characters are phony, the dialogues false, come on, an english teacher does not speak like that, and her would be lover wouldn't speak like that either. Neverteless Meg Ryan's character is a visual attraction in this movie. Terrible plot and terrible direction.

This movie was so dark and slow moving, that I feel asleep watching it.

I only got this film because I am a Meg Ryan fan. I really didn't even know what it was about. The first time I watched it I was shocked to see Meg Ryan in this role. Then I thought about it the next day and watched the interview and director's cut. I went back and watched it again. I was mesmerized by the story - forget the gruesome murders, but focus on the deep needs between Frannie and Malloy. The third time I watched it I focused on Malloy. For such a tough cop, no apologies, he was incredibly sensitive and romantic. The character of Malloy was intrigued and attracted to Frannie from the beginning. It was actually remarkable the third time around to see how much he cared for Frannie.
I loved this film. I really can set aside the sick murders and focus on the sexual tension and relationship between Frannie and Malloy. I can't seem to get their relationship out of my mind. The director Jane Campion really touched me through these two characters and their lust, love, loss and most of all their needs for each other.
I would hope that people would watch this film a second time to really catch the subtleties.

I am now a fan of Mark Ruffalo and am looking forward to seeing his other works. He is a brilliant actor. It was really refreshing to see Meg Ryan explore this type of character. Even the "good girl" has sexual desires and fantasies that need to be explored

This crap absolutely reeked! The story made no sense and Meg for
god's sake keep your clothes on, you are years past nude scenes.

Oh my goodness! My jaw dropped when I saw this movie.I believe that one should be atleast be 21 before endulging one self into this poor excuse for a movie. All this is a sex show. And a BAD one.Trust me, you'll want to CUT your self after or CUT yourself while you watch this ,movie I am fine with the nudity as long as it it is done with in good taste. Coming from me, that is a huge statement. CUT stars rising star, Mark Ruffalo.And he shows all that he can show and so does Meg Ryan. Filled with GRAPHIC and TASTELESS sex scenes, this "thriller" or what ever this was intended to partray, I really couldn't tell given that this was basically one of those adult movies and given that this movie had NO plot what-so-ever. Good acting, AWFUL writting,FILTHY dialog and EXTREMELY PERVASIVE language. I Basically as I said prior, this movie is just glorified adult material.

After witnessing a rather graphic PDA in a bar Meg Ryan's English teacher's character receives a visit from Mark Ruffalo's detective informing her a body had been dumped in her garden. Well it is not long maybe a scene with Ryan's sister Jennifer Jason Leigh, or two later that Ryan and Ruffalo's characters develop a heated relationship while more women are cut and killed in gruesome manners.

Browsing through earlier reviews I noticed people either seemed to love this movie, or hate it with very little moderation on either side of those extremes. I didn't LOOOOOOOOOOVE it i.e feel it was a cinematic masterpiece. However I did really enjoy it and felt some reviews were a little harsh, personally I have nothing but respect and admiration for Meg Ryan for portraying a character so far from her usual cutesy funny mould. She as usual did an excellent acting job as did Leigh and Ruffalo. Meg just gets more judos due to the risk she took. If it helps her hinders her career may be open to debate but I for one would like to see her in more edgier roles as she proved with aplonb she can handle them. Campion did an excellent job directing this thriller resisting for the most part heavy handedness except perhaps at the climax rather she let the characters and camera tell the story.

Now I really want to read Moore's novel this movie was based on which could be a good enough recomendation for the film.

The key to understanding and enjoying this film is understanding its Academic Feminist underpinnings. Basically: that we live in a deeply phallocentric and patriarchal society in which men are free to be wolves and women are ultimately, inescapably condemned to be two-legged lambs who like to imagine that they are free, liberated and "equal"---and while resistance might be heroic and psychologically necessary, it is hopelessly futile.

Bah humbug, you might say---however, both the film and the movie are very effective at getting that perspective across. This is the kind of stuff that makes me think to myself, if I were a woman I'd definitely want to be a lesbian.

At least that's how the book reads; about 90% of the film is like that too, except for the last 5 minutes when Campion (and/or her producers) tinkers with it to create a somewhat happier ending.

I liked the book better for its refusal to compromise, but it was a dull read. The film is preferable mainly because it features lots of eye candy vis-a-vis the always comely Meg Ryan, who totally sheds her usual goody-goody All-American image for this one---as well as all of her clothes, the latter revealing a magnificent body.

This is yet the worst movie of this year. I thought that as the years advance Hollywood would push to make more intelligent movies? What happened? Are we regressing? Call me at 156-38-3461.