“Strange Days” (1995)
Roger Ebert, who gave “Strange Days” a 4/4, opened his review with the following sentence: “We know we want it.” Do we though? “Strange Days” makes for a profoundly strange viewing experience. A grimy piece of futuristic science fiction, it has James Cameron written all over it — and, indeed, Cameron is credited as one of the film’s co-writers and producers. The finished product feels like a directorial collaboration between the two filmmakers: the virtual-reality sequences bear much of Bigelow’s distinctive visual style while the real-world happenings, involving Ralph Fiennes’ Lenny, feel like they’re straight out of a Cameron sci-fi classic. Fiennes is delightful in a typically sleazy role; his casting is perhaps the best single element of the film. His love interest is Angela Bassett, and their romance is hackneyed to the point of being borderline unwatchable. With supporting performances ranging from wacky to straight-up bonkers, the film is full of fascinating choices made by fascinating actors being directed by a fascinating filmmaker (or two). It might be a stretch to call “Strange Days” ‘good,’ and it’s definitely fair to call it ‘out-of-its-mind.’ If that’s the sort of thing that appeals to you, you should probably track it down and watch it. If you haven’t already. – EF
“The Weight Of Water” (2000)
If Kathryn Bigelow’s films are known for their physicality, testosterone and kinematic sensibilities, then 2000’s “The Weight Of Water” is a bit of a gear shift for the filmmaker. And it’s kind of two films in one centering on a newspaper photographer (Catherine McCormack) researching the lurid and sensational axe murder of two Norwegian women in 1873 as an editorial tie-in with a brutal modern double murder. Present day follows Cormack and his companions along for the boat ride to the Isles of Shoals off the New Hampshire coast: her husband (a broody Sean Penn), his brother (Josh Lucas) and his foxy girlfriend (Elizabeth Hurley, acting as a kind of eye candy temptress in the film that divides everyone). The past, the story of the two murdered immigrant women stars Sarah Polley, Vinessa Shaw and Ciarán Hinds. The narrative unfolds in parallels to the women in the past and the inner struggles of McCormack as she grapples with her insecurities and jealousies as her marriage teeters on the rocks. Watchable, but never quite engrossing, ‘Weight’ begins to gel in its third act when the two narratives criss cross thematically and at the same time collapses; it’s almost as if these two disparate stories were never meant to be told together. The modern day story simply works best — the sexual friction between the four characters on the boat, particularly Penn and Hurley, is quite convincing. What perhaps defines “The Weight Of Water” narrative best: it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2000, but didn’t receive a proper U.S. release until two years later. Interest just wasn’t that high. – RP
“K-19: The Widowmaker” (2002)
It’s 2002, and in a year dominated by blockbuster sequels (“Star Wars Episode II,” “The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”), Bigelow strives to break from the mold with a historical thriller of recent times, attempting to capture one of the lesser told tales from the Soviet Union. K-19, one of the USSR’s flagship nuclear submarines has been launched under the eye of Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson, a match made in the heart of the testosterone-fueled action genre. Captain Ford’s newly found authority as the usurper of Neeson is tested to the limit when disaster hits the sub. Based on true events, Bigelow’s impression of a sympathetic Soviet outcome strikes an odd chord against Ford’s impression of your stereotypical Russian naval captain who’s being hounded by his superiors. Yes, the accent gets as tiresome as it sounds. “K-19: The Widowmaker” is an enjoyable ride, but is costly undermined by the immediate character development which rears its head in time for the films final bow. If you’re looking for a few exciting moments, and a way to kill 2 hours which isn’t entirely unworthwhile then give it a go, if only for the Ford-Neeson pairing. – JC
