TNMC
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THE CENTER OF THE WORLD
Movie: 7/10
It is a simple premise: a lonely computer programming genius (Peter Sarsgaard) pays a stripper (Molly Parker) ten thousand dollars to accompany him to Las Vegas for three days. She has a set of rules (no kissing on the mouth, no touching, and no penetration) and from ten p.m. to two a.m. the two spend their time together. As the time progresses, the two become involved in a deeply emotional relationship centered around sexual fantasy and a growing attraction to one another. The plot is basically that of a softcore porno drama, however, director Wayne Wang decides to take a more artsy approach to the material. What we are given is an intimate and avante garde look thanks to digital video cameras. The video isn't polished, it's gritty and really independent looking. The screenwriting isn't bad, however, the games the two characters play becomes frustrating and tedious. The acting is also quite good, however, the hooker, played by Molly Parker, didn't exactly do it for me. Sometimes she is hot and sometimes she is dead nasty. (Too many freckles.) She isn't incredibly attractive and for some reason I had a hard time picturing her as a hooker. I found this one of the most flawed aspects of the picture. Also, the sexual content is not for everyone. It's good that Artisan nurtures it's directors to take such liberty in their depiction of sex. (They also stood firmly behind Requiem of a Dream.) Not a horrible movie, but it has it's flaws.
Video: 6/10
Not great quality, mostly due to the fact that it was shot on digital video. However, the contrasts in color are nicely done and I enjoyed the independent look. Not the best quality around though.
Audio: 8/10
5.1, nothing to showcase. The soundtrack is really decent though.
Extras: 7/10
Not a bad assortment. We have a couple alternate endings, a nice documentary on the making of the website, and a really decent commentary by director Wayne Wang and a production consultant. I would have loved some more documentaries or something though. Maybe a commentary by Sarsgaard and Parker, the screenwriter would have been nice also.
Overall: 7/10
Decent, flawed movie with decent transfers and a nice assortment of extras. Nice job Artisan!
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