ChanBot i must have seen a different film!!

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

kira02bit Bombastic assault on the senses disguised as a "brainy" sci-fi action film. Set in 1999, the film follows former cop turned fast-talking street hustler Ralph Fiennes, who specializes in selling disks containing the memories and emotions of people, which is apparently the drug du jour. When he stumbles on a disk containing the murder of a prostitute, he becomes embroiled in a police conspiracy, rape, murder and assorted sordid elements in order to rescue former girlfriend Juliette Lewis from peril.The premise for the film sounds a lot better than the execution and there is enough promise implicit in the material to give one the idea of what may have been if it had a director who could fashion a coherent narrative and sympathetic characters. As it stands, it is impossible to tell which element of the film eviscerates it first, or whether it is a cooperative effort. The film employs an ear-shattering soundtrack, chronic noise and flashing lights, and assorted irritating visual flourishes apparently believing that everyone in the audience suffers from ADHD.The storyline is convoluted to say the least and director Kathryn Bigelow seems to be on only a nodding acquaintance with it. Bigelow, whose entire directorial output could conceivably have been directed by a testicle in the throes of puberty, simply does not exist in the same zip code as logic or common sense, and often sacrifices it for the next big bang, which is never as exciting as she apparently believes it to be. She seems uncomfortable directing women and thus the misogyny is laid on with a trowel. The female characters in the film are on hand only to strip, be raped, be beaten or murdered. Even Angela Bassett's tough chauffeur/bodyguard is subjected to a graphic beating, which tastelessly draws parallels to the Rodney King beating of the era.The acting is a real mixed bag. Tom Sizemore and Vincent D'Onofrio trot out their stale sleazeball routines for another go-round. Fiennes, who seems to be jacked up on too much caffeine, has rarely been this aggravating on screen. Bassett fares best despite being badly directed, but still cannot make the last act attraction between her and Fiennes even remotely plausible. And just when you think things cannot get worse, Lewis comes on screen with a teeth-grindingly wretched performance that could single-handedly derail far better films.Bigelow and company try to tie up the film's voluminous loose ends in an unsuccessful final orgy of violence and exposition, but your patience will have long vanished before then. Despite attempts by Bigelow groupies to rehabilitate the film's image (it was both a critical and box office bust at the time), it still remains a shallow, unwatchable mess with entire passages so unappealing that your first instinct is to take a very hot shower and scrub away anything that might linger from having experienced it.

Predrag "Strange Days" is a movie that has a bit of everything and ends up being a terrific cinematic experience. Set in a near future, the story deals with classic themes like virtual reality, thought control or the share of memory, providing and exciting and engaging cyberpunk adventure. Director Kathryn Bigelow creates a futuristic LA that manages to be both sophisticated and believable, avoiding the over-the-top, Utopian and not very realistic depictions of future societies presented in other sci-fi films. Although "Strange Days" is basically a thriller, it is way above many run-of-the-mill movies of its genre, as it succeeds at combining its key elements perfectly. The direction is dynamic, unique and fast-paced, adding style and energy with an excellent sense of rhythm, flow and tension. The acting is also a plus, since Ralph Fiennes is unforgettable as the flawed anti-hero Lenny and Angela Basset shines as his sister-in-arms Mace. This duo makes for an odd, yet original and memorable couple, delivering some enticing and moving scenes. It's also interesting seeing the female character protecting the male for a change, making for a clever reverse of the predictable and typical scenario of most action flicks. Juliette Lewis is also convincing as the dark and feral femme-fatal, especially when she sings a P.J. Harvey song to perfection (one of the many excellent and remarkable moments of this movie).The only problem is the script, which in its determined liberalism (the LAPD isn't really rife with racism, oh no, it's just a couple of loose cannons here and there) is at odds with the basically scary premise. In the end, it relies on the concept of The Good Cop and Real Love Conquering All. I don't suppose it could've been any other way, but...really.Although I am a fan of thrillers and sci-fi, a good story (giving the viewer a range of feelings and emotions) regardless of the genre is what truly sells to a wide audience. I believe that Strange Days is a good story told extremely well by the director, Kate Bigelow, using film.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

cedricm-01075 Although this movie was made twenty years ago, it is very telling of where society of present day is heading. This sci-fi thriller is very suspenseful and tackles many topics connected to today. I was moved by the portrayal of of cop relations with African-Americans. Just having it being represented in this film shows that police brutality has been a recurring issue for quite some time. This film is reminiscent of George Orwell's novel 1984 in the since that it is foretelling of the future if technology and power structures are not kept under control. However, I feel that the portrayal of the squibs was a little corny. I Other than that, I found it to be a pretty decent film.

soutok "Oh Boy was it strange. It took a while to get into and even then I wasn't completely sold. The actors and characters were the only thing that really held this film together. The entire story seemed like a giant 90's cliché with a very jumpy plot. Those who aren't into science fiction might have a hard time keeping up and getting hooked.The story follows Lenny Nero, a former cop who now deals with dealing data disks that contain stored memories and emotions. Several days before the new millennium everyone is paranoid and acting rampant anticipating the world will end. Everyone is toting guns, swapping girls, acting on edge. Lenny gets a package with stored data and memories of a prostitute who is raped and murdered. This begins a spiral of events that open his eyes to relative murders like that of a rapper in the community and how each individual is involved. The scenes are suspenseful and show pure chaos in the streets including brutality and fires. Two dirty cops chase him in search of a disk that contains sensitive information. Meanwhile, Lenny's ex girlfriend Faith is now involved in a bad group and a new boyfriend name Philo. Lenny knows she's in danger but isn't sure how and gives her a way out, but she refuses.I really enjoyed the strong female role of Mace as she put Lenny in his place and reamed him out for not being a true friend and just using her for when it was convenient to him. She also explains that his life is just a series of scams and crooked jobs, essentially calling him out. There were a lot of terms that were confusing and difficult to understand without further analysis. A Squid is the device placed upon the cranium that helps playback the memories. I liked the slow reveal of pieces of information that help piece together previous information. When Mace watches the tape we learn how Jerrico was murdered and why Iris was on the run. However the movie was long winded and seemed to drag at parts. It's a different and unique film that covers content relevant to us now and could be relevant in the future as technology advances. Our culture has also placed heavy value on law enforcement and their duty to be inherently good. Not my favorite film and may not directly recommend it to any of my friends, but something to watch if you like a little gore, action, mild romance and science fiction."