Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pitch black comedy, 25 Jun 2007
Comedy doesn't get any darker than this. Other reviews will have explained the story, this is just another view of this film from the average person. (average?) I am very surprised that this film does not have many many reviews, it is so fabulous I'm also surprised that it didn't mainstream bigtime... unless its just me, but the other other reviews are pretty certain.
Everything in the film is just so brilliantly thought about and done, and the moody direstion helps the film alot, also do the the beautifally chosen characters- such as Kimberly, she is the most awsome character you will ever see in film. I don't like to admit it, but even some of my books don't have as many twists and turns as this film: the story is spectacular.
In the end, you realise that the film has pushed you into a dark little corner, and it traps you there for quite some time afterwards, if you see what I mean.
More of a big pill than a film... fantastic. One of the best films ever made, but so annoyingly underground and missunderstood!
10/10
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Like 'Cruel Intentions' But Grittier and Darker, 20 Oct 2006
Since the first American Pie, there has been dozens of teen high school films made and released. Most of them are the same - gross out humour and stereotypical characters like the obnoxious jock and the caring, nervous, accident-prone leading man - and it was easy for them to be spoofed in `Not Another Teen Movie'. Pretty Persuasion is set in an American high school and revolves around the lives of a handful of teenagers, but it is different to the average teen film. For one, the humour is very dark and black, and the lead character is complex, manipulating and deceptive. A brunette Evan Rachel Wood (it took me ages to figure out she was the girl from `Thirteen') is the main character and her performance is excellent. She commands your attention whenever she is on screen. As Empire magazine said, it won't be long until she snatches the teen queen crown from lesser young actresses like Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan. Another difference to most teen films is the 18 certificate the way the film uses sex in a more serious and disturbing manner. There are no juvenile antics with an apple pie here.
The film itself is sort of a cross between `Wild Things' and `Cruel Intentions', but with slightly more time devoted to rounding out the characters. Like `Wild Things', three students make a sexual harassment claim against their teacher. The plot of the film gets going in the courtroom and some of the films funniest scenes take place here (such as the monotone courtroom reading of the detention letter cut between the actual reading of the letter in class ... followed by the lawyer's reaction to the courtroom reading), but on a number of levels the film is patchy. It can't seem to make up its mind what kind of film it wants to be (dark comedy or heavyweight drama); what kind of character the lead is (deeply troubled or heartless and promiscuous); and what the main drive of the story should be (for example, there are some sub-plots based on Arab-American relations). Also, the scenes with Evan Rachel Wood and her Step-Mother are uncomfortable to watch (especially when she talks about the dog) and the scenes with her Dad are pretty pointless (her dad James Woods phones in a typical James Woods performance).
All in all, however, the film is well worth a watch. It deserves credit for trying something different with a tired genre and Evan Rachel Wood's performance is high quality stuff.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant, but not for everyone, 20 Nov 2007
Despite the fact that this is an incredibly impressive film, with an amazing storyline and some fantastic acting, it is not hard to see why it did not appeal to a larger mainstream audience upon its initial release - Pretty Persuasion's sense of humour is as black as it's 'heroine's' soul. Balancing very black comedy on top of some controversial issues, such as sexual assault, teen sexuality and racial identity was always going to be a tricky feat, but both the director and the cast have managed ably, crafting a film that is not only highly watchable and enjoyable, but also has some genuinely new things to say about our media-driven society and its effect on younger generations, whilst pulling off a spectacular genre-mash two thirds of the way through when the film shifts from a comedy into a very clever psycho-drama, retaining some of the laughs but pushing the film into ever darker territories.
I don't want to spoil the film for anyone who reads this as a guide to whether the film is worth renting or buying, so i won't go into plot details. However, it is pertinent to note that the comedy is of such a dark quality that it borders on being genuinely offensive without resorting to crudeness (an incredibly impressive feat), and the moral ambiguity of many of the film's characters, in particular the lead, does not make the film easily palatable. However, Pretty Persuasion does have one absolutely massive ace up its sleeves which should have seen the film gain greater prominence - Evan Rachel Wood. The young actress turns in an absolutely incredible performance in the lead role of Kimberly Joyce, the likes of which will probably never be seen again in a 'teen' movie (although the film's 18 certificate and intelligent treatment of sex does cast doubt over whether this is part of the teen movie canon or simply a film about teenagers). Turning an utterly despicable character into someone so hypnotic, charismatic and likeable is a difficult task, and Wood carries it off with style in abundance. No amount of hyperbole can really do justice to the performance that she gives. Every year the Academy seem lost for women to nominate for their Best Actress award (Kiera Knightley?! WHAT!!!???) but if they looked only slightly further afield, not only would they chance upon a first-class actress but increase the chances of a small, independent film as good and thought-provoking as this gaining mainstream success. It wouldn't surprise me if Pretty Persuasion went on to become something of a cult classic in years to come, cementing Evan Rachel Wood's reputation as a great, and underrated, actress. Props must be given also to the rest of the cast, in particular James Woods' highly acidic performance as Kimberly's loving, doting, racist, drug-snorting father.
Dark, funny and daring, this film deserves to be seen!!!
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