Strange Days (1995)

The Cameron Bigalow film they don't want you to remember
Back in the mid 1990s there was talk about how Katherine Bigelow (ex of James Cameroon and director of popular shows like Near Dark and Point Break) was doing a new movie with state of the art POV (point of view) content that used new camera techniques to put the viewer inside someone's head. The reason for this was to film James Cameron's vision of a world where people are able to record others people's lives via a neural net interface for playback... a sort of hippy drug for the turn of the Millennium. There was a lot of hype about this film.

Unfortunately Strange Days never lived up to its expectations. The film contained a lot of music sequences (such as bands playing) with lyrics that are frankly, bad. Just listening to the rap video makes you ask why they didn't even attempt to rhyme? It was dreadful then... and it's horrible today.

Ralph Fiennes' American accent was as inept as the script's one-liners with a delivery that didn't pay off. Jennifer Lewis did lots of nudity for what seems like the sake of nudity and quite frankly most of us would prefer her with her clothes back on. Talented actors, such as Vincent D'Onofrio cop running around chasing people, are completely wasted.

While there is an interesting twist involving the sudden appearance of a serial killer the film gets boring and overlong with action sequences and back stories that never once stir our imagination or make a hair stand on end. To top it off the coolness expected of Bigelow's production is lost somewhere between bad hairdos and bad karma. Given that James Cameron is supposed to be a major part of it, Strange Days is a horrible let down. In the end the bad guy even reveals everything. The editing during this sequence is some of the worst ever committed. Strange Days had a lot of potential with big names and a considerable budget. The end result is an incoherent mess and defines the word disappointment.

fast paced & morally gritty
I liked this movie because it moved quickly and Ralph Fiennes was excellent in his portrayal.

However, I've never seen such intentionally vulgar, full body displays (in an "R" rated movie) of a Rape in progress--which cinematically delights in the graphic humiliation of a woman; And which accepts as normal a somewhat gritty city.

Moral dignity is not a theme in this movie. Fast action, wonderful camera work, and decent acting by all other supporting cast members is.

I feel dirty after watching this movie and believe viewers should be so advised.

Much more than I expected!
Some 12 years after its initial release, I finally got around to watching this from start to finish. I have to say it is quite impressive. A rich, sometimes oppressive sensory experience, not unlike Moulin Rouge, but also hard-edged and violent and contemporary in so many ways. While it is not the world we passed by, or currently live in, it expresses the many fears of what we are becoming, which in America means polarized along any number of lines, whether racial, ethnic, economic, political or cultural. Then again, I don't believe in the good old days. While the characters in this film are colorful and exaggerated, I found myself sucked in and fiercely attached to their situations and outcome. I saw a new side to Ralph Fiennes, who I usually associate with stoic evil or intensity, but in this he is humanized, flawed, often at cross purposes with himself. Very compelling. Angela Bassett as well, the simmering moral core, exhibiting fierce toughness but also a certain vulnerability that makes her even more attractive than usual. I also enjoyed the multiple references and derivatives of Blade Runner that run amok in this film. While I would never accuse 'Strange Days' of being perfect or entirely believable, it is a fascinating voyage, a nightmarish vision and overall gripping experience.