Strange Days ( * * * * * )

I saw this at the University of Georgia Tate Theater in Athens for free with a bunch of friends back in the mid-nineties, before the general release. Now it's 2004 (almost 2005) and I'm still waiting for my "other-people's-memory" Juliette Lewis porn. C'mon, Steve Jobs, get crackin'.

The Acting: What a great cast, led by Ralph Fiennes, whose name is pronounced weird. Angela Bassett plays the token single mother-turned-badass limo driver/bodyguard, who carries a torch for Lenny Nero (Fiennes) who in turn is still in love with Juliette Lewis, who may or may not love a music mogul played by the gravel-voiced Michael Wincott, or even Lenny's best friend, Tom Sizemore. But it gets better, because an old acquaintance, a hooker named Iris (who is ironically given the name, being the sole eyewitness to a horrific crime) is being hunted down by the cops "Robo"Steckler (the great Vincent D'Onofrio) and Engelman (William Fichtner).

The Story: The city is rocked by the death of rapper Jericho One (Glenn Plummer) on the eve of New Years Eve 2000, the biggest party in the history of the world, and set against this apocalyptic fin-de-siecle backdrop is ex-L.A. cop-turned sleazy memory peddler Fiennes, using a technology called S.Q.U.I.D. (Superconducting QuantUm Interference Device) to sell other people's experiences for profit. When a mysterious "fan" drops him a memory of an illegal blackjack tape featuring a murder he'd committed, things get nasty, and Fiennes turns to his best friend Mace (Bassett) for help, because as he gets closer to the fan killer, he comes to realize that if the awful truth behind Jericho One's murder comes to light it could lead to city-wide riots so bad "they'll see the smoke from Canada."

The Direction: There are a million twists and turns, and anchoring all of the bedazzling (but never bewildering) changes of perspective (including a bunch of immaculately filmed first person POV footage that astonishes in its ambition) is Kathryn Bigelow, director and ex-wife of James Cameron, who wrote the screen story. They also co-created the underestimated Point Break (which Cameron ghost wrote) and she remains the cinema's best female director. Her strong visual style accompanies a lean storytelling sense in this thrilling epic of personal redemption.

Overall: Not having a date or any parties to go to, I was going to watch this movie on New Year's Eve 2000, but I went to bed early instead. I still find that sad on many levels. But then I think of Michael Wincott's legendary line from this film ("The only time a whore should open her mouth is when she's giving head") and it cheers me up every time. This film also generated a highly varied and interesting soundtrack, which hopefully one day soon I will listen to in my flying jet car.

Tredekka Rules:

• Rule 1: No Movie Can Get More Than 5 Stars, Not Even Deadfall. Or Strange Days.
• Rule 4: Sweet Actor Bonus--Vincent ("CONAN? Conan was the damndest bastard there ever was!") D'Onofrio, +2 stars--Michael ("Caw! Caw! BANG! Oh fuck, I'm dead!") Wincott, +3 stars.
• Rule 5: Spitting = Good Acting--Ralph gets +1 star. D'Onofrio has an excellent scene where he gets blood all over his face, but he doesn't get squat in terms of points. Probably bad karma from doing Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
• Rule 22: The Great Entrance Award--goes to the mysterious killer's opening scene, which involves "a little B & E action" followed by the most fucked-up rape/murder scene yet given us by speculative fiction. It's hard to describe, so you'll have to see it for yourself if you haven't already. +1 star.
• Rule 39: Dystopian Near-Futures Are Fun!--you may laugh now, but when 1997 gets here...oh, wait, that was the year of Predator 2. Anyway, just try to imagine a Los Angeles where cops commit crimes and vice runs rampant. Then imagine that everything from The Matrix to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind rips it off because they figure no one will notice. And you have Strange Days. +1 star.

Tredekka Score: ( * * * * * )