In the Cut (2003)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Jane Campion

Writers:

Jane Campion (screenplay) &
Susanna Moore (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

31 October 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Everything you know about desire is dead wrong.

Plot:

A New York writing professor, Frannie Avery (Ryan), has an erotic affair with a police detective (Ruffalo) investigating a murder in her neighborhood of a beautiful young woman...

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Police Detective | Garbage | Shot In The Chest | Decapitation

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Pauline
Meg Ryan	...	Frannie
Micheal Nuccio	...	Frannie's Young Father
Allison Nega	...	Young Father's Fiancee (as Alison Nega)
Dominick Aries	...	Attentive Husband
Susan Gardner	...	Perfect Wife
Sharrieff Pugh	...	Cornelius Webb
Nick Damici	...	Detective Rodriguez
Heather Litteer	...	Angela Sands
Daniel T. Booth	...	Red Turtle Bartender
Yaani King	...	Frannie's Student
Frank Harts	...	Frannie's Student
Sebastian Sozzi	...	Frannie's Student
Zach Wegner	...	Frannie's Student (as Zack Wegner)
Mark Ruffalo	...	Detective Malloy

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality including explicit dialogue, nudity, graphic crime scenes and language.

Runtime:

119 min | Canada:113 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Australia | USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Brazil:18 | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Norway:18 | South Korea:18 | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:R21 (cut) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R-18 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R (original rating) | USA:Unrated (uncut director's edition) | Philippines:R-18

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Pathe Productions

Trivia:

Mark Ruffalo went on undercover assignments with police officers to prepare for his role.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Malloy gives Frannie his card, she uses a pushpin to secure it on her wall. Later in a close-up when she is at Pauline's apartment holding Malloy's card, there's no pinhole in the card.

Quotes:

Frannie: The still waters of the water under a frond of stars. The still waters of your mouth under a thicket of kisses.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Favouritism: Julian Clary's Showbiz Hissy Fits (#1.6)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

The Look of Love

Beautiful film.

Campion always impresses. Do not go into this film seeking a tightly woven suspense thriller. This film deals more of what happens when a woman is continuously victimized by the idea of true love and the world it places her in. Meg Ryan? I gave her the benefit of the doubt. It paid off. She is marvelous. Her character is enigmatic and sexy. The fact that they washed away her Hollywood image delighted me. Her sexual demands are tastefully perverted. Mark Ruffalo? His primitive macho cop demeanor plays well for Ryan's repressed desire to have sexual fulfillment. Why does sex effect so many of us? Why not just tell us all about it as children. We're not stupid. Just tell us the truth.

Ryan's character has lost connection to the world. Her wisdom and insight comes from banner poems on public transport. Ryan displays an inner coolness that I find attractive. She does not respond to silly questions and reacts slightly to incredible events such as being hit by a car. She is in her own world of thought lost in an idealistic vision of happiness and love but lives her reality in perverted surroundings and grime. The people in her life all seem to be disconnected.

There is a serial killer on the loose and Ryan's interaction with him is hauntingly chilling while at the same time beautifully shot. There is a mystery as to whom he might be. The riddle was of minor concern. I was more fascinated watching Ryan's character. The film is filled with fabulous shots. Highly stylized. Several closeups of Meg Ryan's world. The film drags a bit and lingers into the unknown at times just as the protagonist Ryan.

It has moments of beauty that is rarely seen on the screen in this day and age. I give this film a 10.

Victor Nunnally BFA Dramatic History nd Theory MFA Film Theory and Production