The Opposite of Sex

Tags

1990's, Christina Ricci, Dark Comedy, Don Roos, Ivan Sergei, Johnny Galecki, Lisa Kudrow, Lyle Lovett, Martin Donovan, The Opposite of Sex

Film Title

The Opposite of Sex

Director

Don Roos

Starring

• Christina Ricci as Dedee Truitt
• Martin Donovan as Bill Truitt
• Lisa Kudrow as Lucia DeLury
• Ivan Sergei as Matt
• Johnny Galecki as Jason
• Lyle Lovett as Sheriff Carl

A jet-black comedy that is frequently shocking and covers themes that could be incendiary with caustic aplomb, The Opposite of Sex makes for an unconventional and oddball story, populated by strange yet winning characters and a sarcastic turn from Christina Ricci.

Dedee Truitt is a bitchy, trailer trash 16-year-old girl who runs away from her Louisiana home after burying her stepfather. She high tails it to Indiana where she arrives on the doorstep of her sensitive gay half-brother Bill, who is still mourning the loss of his partner to AIDS. He is currently in a relationship with the hunky but dumb Matt, though he still hasn’t faced the loss of his former flame properly. Dedee, who is secretly pregnant, slowly sets in motion a cunning plan to gain money from Bill, knowing that he has $10,000 in his safe deposit box. Seducing Matt and then pretending that the baby is his, she skips town with him along with the money and the ashes of Tom, in an urn that could fetch a tidy sum. Bill doesn’t know what to do about the situation, but Tom’s sister Lucia, who is highly strung and obviously has feelings for Bill, encourages him to find both of them. Things also heat up when Matt’s former boyfriend and Bill’s former student Jason threatens him with accusations that he made inappropriate advances towards him. As a missing person’s report has been filed by the spiteful Jason, local sheriff Carl, who has the hots for Lucia, has to become involved as Bill and Lucia search for Dedee and Matt. Dedee continues to manipulate everyone for her own gain as a cross-country madcap venture takes place, leading to many realizations and people confronting what they are holding back. Add to this chase murder, ransom, extortion and blackmail and its eventful days for all the people Dedee comes across and wreaks havoc on.

Don Roos made his directing debut with The Opposite of Sex, as well as penning the screenplay. And he does an extremely engaging and biting job at bringing these unusual characters and events to spirited and also darkly comic life. And yet while the film has a dark, rude and sarcastic heart, it surprisingly allows for oddly touching and moving moments to be gleaned. This comes with a definite irony as while Dedee ruins everyone’s lives, she inadvertently helps them come to terms with various issues and personal demons. The Opposite of Sex is ballsy material that takes aim at homophobia and bible-bashing zealots with rapier wit that it is clearly unapologetic for. And while some of the things the movie deals with won’t be to all tastes, it really knows the buttons to press and gets jaw-dropping gasps from you, whether you like it or not. A lot of this comes down to the acidic script, that churns out great one liners at a regular rate. The best example is the use of narration from Dedee, whose view on things is spiked with savage commentary and smart alec remarks. She’s the kind of narrator that is fun to listen too as she is no angel and her mordant assessment of events has to be heard to be believed. I mean, just listen to how she knows that the audience isn’t going to root for her or a withering offer her opinion on the people she ruins. This is a self-aware heroine who doesn’t give a damn, which suits the film down to the ground. Even when she isn’t on screen and it is just her voice, you can’t help but be intrigued and frequently flabbergasted by her thoughts. The pace is pretty quick and filled with sparks, only sometimes having the odd lull that can be forgiven owing to how incisive and scathing it all is. A strangely bouncy score belies the gleefully sardonic and vicious wit of the piece.

Front and centre of it all is Christina Ricci, who is acerbically vicious and seductive in equal measure as the sly Dedee. Ricci embodies the bitchy and sarcastic attitude to an extremely high degree, making you both shocked and strangely attracted to her, even though she’s vindictive. Though there are hints that Dedee may have some form of a heart, the spiky and cutting aspects of the part are what is so appealing, a strength to which Ricci plays to in devilishly vindictive mode. Blasé and snappy as Dedee is, Christina Ricci makes you unusually root for and be fascinated by this trashy jailbait vixen with a mind as sharp as an axe and a tongue like a viper. This is one of the best performances of Christina Ricci, which is no surprise considering how much she puts into the part and other roles too. The other players are also given lively and kooky characters to flesh out this darkly humorous experience. Martin Donovan is perfectly subdued as the mild-mannered Bill, who is too nice for his own good but slowly seeing that he can’t just sit back as all of this chaos ensues. Donovan gets probably the most relatable part in The Opposite of Sex, which he plays to the hilt and never rings false. Really having a blast is Lisa Kudrow as the opinionated and self-righteous Lucia, who finds the idea of sex repulsive but quietly yearns for companionship. She is amusingly passive-aggressive, high and mighty and ever so slightly sour, but Kudrow wisely ensures that she isn’t without sympathy. Ivan Sergei makes the most of his role of the not too intelligent Matt, who gets completely wrapped around the poisonous fingers of Dedee without quite realising it. Johnny Galecki has a ball as the mendacious accuser, while a homespun Lyle Lovett is just right as the sheriff drawn into this outrageous web.

Unapologetically snarky and definitely not adhering to political correctness, The Opposite of Sex couldn’t give a damn about that and comes off as a biting dark comedy that provides biting humour and curious insight into relationships and the complexity of them. Bolstered by a wickedly biting performance from Christina Ricci, this is a film that is best summed up by the tagline ‘You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be offended’.

Happy Birthday Christina Ricci

Tags

Birthday, Black Snake Moan, Casper, Christina Ricci, Happy Birthday, Mermaids, Monster, Sleepy Hollow, The Addams Family, The Opposite of Sex

Today is the 35th birthday of Christina Ricci, who ranks as one of my favourite actresses and one who I always think is very underrated, considering her many outstanding performances throughout the years. With her large eyes, petite frame, dark hair and expressive face, Christina Ricci possesses a charm, kookiness and maturity that she imbues in her work, that helped her transition from child actress to adult star with relative ease. I love how her work in movies is so fearless and her willingness to play dark and unconventional characters. She never seems to go for the safe option in movies, no role seems too out there or to edgy for her and I respect her for that. Listing her amazing credits is a hard task but here are some of the best moments from her career that come to my mind when I think of her:

 

Debuting in Mermaids and acting alongside Cher and Winona Ryder, as a wannabe Olympic Swimmer in a kooky and dysfunctional family, Ricci made an impression.

 

 

As the morbidly fascinated Wednesday Addams in the big screen adaptation of The Addams Family, Ricci found her niche for playing dark and unusual characters.

 

 

As the lonely young girl who befriends a benevolent ghost after moving into an old and creepy old house in Casper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the sleazy, vindictive and alluring runaway bitch who wreaks havoc on many lives, Ricci’s performance in The Opposite of Sex helped her make the transition to adult roles.

 

 

 

As the romantic yet enigmatic witch in the fantasy horror Sleepy Hollow, Ricci’s Gothic beauty and kookiness came in handy.

 

 

 

As the outcast lesbian lover of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the emotionally devastating Monster, Ricci turned in an effective performance opposite Charlize Theron.

 

 

 

Exuding raw pain, unrestrained anger and deep vulnerability, Ricci contributed a no holds barred performance as a nymphomaniac in Black Snake Moan.

 

 

All I have left to say is, Happy Birthday Christina Ricci.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sleepy Hollow

Tags

1990's, Casper Van Dien, Christina Ricci, Christopher Walken, Horror, Ian McDiarmid, Jeffrey Jones, Johnny Depp, Marc Pickering, Michael Gambon, Michael Gough, Miranda Richardson, Richard Griffiths, Sleepy Hollow, Tim Burton

Film Title

Sleepy Hollow

Director

Tim Burton

Starring

• Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane
• Christina Ricci as Katrina Van Tassel
• Miranda Richardson as Lady Van Tassel
• Marc Pickering as Young Masbath
• Michael Gambon as Baltus Van Tassel
• Casper Van Dien as Brom Van Brunt
• Jeffrey Jones as Reverend Steenwyck
• Richard Griffiths as Magistrate Philipse
• Ian McDiarmid as Dr. Lancaster
• Michael Gough as Notary Hardenbrook
• Christopher Walken as the Hessian Horseman

Chilling, blood-soaked and visually ravishing, Tim Burton’s take on Washington Irving’s classic story is a creepy tale of murder and the supernatural with nods to Hammer Horror. Bolstered by a strong cast and a striking colour palette, Sleepy Hollow is a must for old-fashioned horror fans.

Ichabod Crane is an awkward, eccentric and unorthodox policeman in 1799 New York. His methods, such as autopsies and checking for fingerprints are criticised by those around him as they are peculiar and deemed unimportant. Ichabod is also plagued by his blurred memories of a past trauma involving his mother which he begins to piece together. He is given the task of uncovering the murderer in a small remote town known as Sleepy Hollow. Four people have been murdered in a short space of time, each of the victims was decapitated and their head was not found. Arriving in the dour town, Ichabod meets with the town elders; Baltus Van Tassel, the most respected and richest citizen, solemn Reverend Steenwyck, nervy Magistrate Philipse, quiet Dr. Lancaster and menacing Notary Hardenbrook. While Ichabod believes that the murderer is a man, the elders have a very different idea. They believe the carnage is the work of the Headless Horseman, a former mercenary in the war who delighted in chopping off the heads of his victims. The Horseman would eventually befall the same fate at the hands of soldiers. The elders are convinced that the Horseman has returned for revenge. Initially very skeptical and trying to think logically about what killed the victims, Ichabod begins to understand this story after his own encounter with the vengeful spirit. Spooked but still determined, Ichabod attempts to unravel the mystery with the help of Katrina, the romantic and enigmatic daughter of Baltus and Masbath, a recently orphaned boy who sees Ichabod as a surrogate father. Gothic chills and bloodshed follow as the mystery deepens into the realms of the supernatural.

From the opening frames of fog and carnage, we are transported into the gothic world of Tim Burton, who is clearly having a ball with the source material. Burton infuses Sleepy Hollow with an unnerving atmosphere of fear and mystery by utilising shadow and slow-building suspense.He respectfully tips his hat to Hammer Horror with scenes such as the eerily misty woods, a mysterious person clad in a cloak who glides through the woods one night and the wise crone who dwells in the cave, whilst also giving a darkly humorous and sly edge to proceedings. Visuals in Sleepy Hollow are second to none, with the looming houses of the town casting an ominous atmosphere and the gnarled Tree of the Dead a particularly terrifying sight to behold. Sleepy Hollow may be gory in many scenes as crimson and scarlet fill the screen, but at least it has a gripping story to keep it from falling into a full on gore fest. Danny Elfman provides a haunting and spellbinding score of choir chanting, uneasy strings and dreamlike percussion that perfectly sets the mood of impending terror that awaits Ichabod upon his arrival in the eponymous town.

Johnny Depp heads the impressive cast as the nervy and free-thinking Ichabod. He conveys fear, skepticism and radical thinking whilst giving us some darkly funny moments when Ichabod’s modern techniques are questioned by old-fashioned values. Christina Ricci is luminously enigmatic and dreamlike as Katrina, whose secretive behaviour and beauty soon cause her to become the object of Ichabod’s affections whilst aiding him in his unearthing of the sinister legend. Miranda Richardson makes for a mysterious character with her evasive presence and strange smiles every so often that slip from behind her image as a model wife. Marc Pickering conveys maturity and courage as Masbath, who helps Ichabod and develops and deep father-son bond with him. In supporting roles as the village elders;Michael Gambon, Jeffrey Jones, Ian McDiarmid and Michael Gough are respectable and intelligent. Casper Van Dien is well suited to the macho character of Brom, a potential suitor to Katrina who begins to feel threatened by the presence of Ichabod. And not forgetting Christopher Walken, who portrays the Horseman in flashback and adds a terrifying intensity and menace to the role.

A spellbinding, eerie and visually stunning horror film, Sleepy Hollow is both an affectionate throwback to old horror movies and a suspenseful thrill ride of mystery and danger, crafted with eccentric care by Tim Burton.

Black Snake Moan

Tags

2000's, Black Snake Moan, Christina Ricci, Craig Brewer, Drama, Justin Timberlake, Samuel L. Jackson

Film Title

Black Snake Moan

Director

Craig Brewer

Starring

• Samuel L. Jackson as Lazarus
• Christina Ricci as Rae
• Justin Timberlake as Ronnie

I remember seeing the advertisements for Black Snake Moan when it was released and thinking that it just looked like a sleazy attempt at revamping the exploitation movie. But when I finally got around to watching it, boy was I surprised. It actually is a film, which does take some influences from 70’s exploitation cinema, but emerges as a study of sex, lacerated souls and redemption. It may be outrageous and questionable, but Craig Brewer keeps you interested by crafting this tale of forgiveness with the blues serving as a soulful backdrop.

Living in Tennessee, Lazarus is a former blues guitarist who plows the land on his surrounding farm. He is consumed by anger since his wife left him for his brother, and as a result his faith in religion has waned. This changes when he comes across Rae, a girl suffering from nymphomania and a victim of childhood abuse, who he finds beaten and left for dead in the middle of the road. As he nurses her back to health, he sees Rae as someone who he can help with her personal demons. He finds an interesting way of doing this which includes chaining her to his radiator to cure her of her wanton ways . Although Rae and Lazarus are initially at each others throats, a genuine friendship develops between them as they open up about the pain that is plaguing them. Lazarus can’t accept that his wife has left him for his brother, whereas Rae is struggling with her condition and unable to cope with the fact that her boyfriend Ronnie has left for the army.  In a way both characters nurse the other through the deep-seated anguish and head towards the road of redemption. Some great dialogue from Craig Brewer and all out amazing performances from Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci give Black Snake Moan a reflective and redemptive quality backed up by the blues on the soundtrack.

Craig Brewer as writer and director takes this seemingly outrageous premise and transforms it into something quite moving indeed. We see the gradual unfolding friendship that develops between the angry Lazarus and loose living Rae and the effect each has on the other in their emotional journey. If you’ve only seen the advertising campaign for Black Snake Moan don’t let that put you off, in my view it detracts from the power of the film and if you do see it, it is something quite different from what the marketing made out. The carefully chosen blues soundtrack makes for a great listen and gives us an insight into the damaged minds of the two principal characters. Amy Vincent’s amazing cinematography of faded browns and golden hues compliments the sweltering Southern Gothic references made throughout Black Snake Moan. There is the grainy quality of exploitation cinema apparent in some areas of the film but I wouldn’t quite class Black Snake Moan as an all out exploitation flick. I would say it’s a drama, with Southern Gothic references that concentrates on the characters as they mend their broken souls through confession and music. For the most part, Black Snake Moan succeeds in telling this unflinching story and only sometimes lapses into full on melodrama and ludicrous moments. Thankfully, Craig Brewer keeps these moments few and far between and raises the outrageous appearance of the story into this redemptive drama.

The two principal performers in Black Snake Moan, Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci give it their all as these damaged characters. Samuel L. Jackson effectively portrays the anger boiling inside Lazarus, but also the caring side that wants to help Rae in her struggles. Jackson contributes fierce rage, comfort and a bad ass attitude into an excellent performance. Christina Ricci oozes rawness and unrestrained pain as Rae; the town nymphomaniac who is spiralling into self-destruction. Ricci may show her body in this movie, but she does some of her most naked acting with her clothes on. She has an emotional honesty that she imbues Rae with and genuinely makes the audience understand why this girl acts the way she does and the traumatic reasons that led to it. Although his character is underwritten, Justin Timberlake is effective enough as the nervous soldier boyfriend of Rae, whose departure began her slow descent into wanton ways.

It may be outrageous and questionable to say the least, but Black Snake Moan effectively overcomes the exploitation tag to give us a redemptive story of two connecting souls who are given emotional weight by Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci.

Monster

Tags

2000's, Aileen Wuornos, Based on a true story, Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Crime, Drama, Monster, Patty Jenkins

Film Title

Monster

Director

Patty Jenkins

Starring

• Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos
• Christina Ricci as Selby Wall
• Bruce Dern as Thomas
• Lee Tergesen as Vincent Corey

Monster is based on the true story of Aileen Wuornos, a Daytona Beach prostitute who killed six men between 1989 and 1990 and was eventually sentenced to death after years on death row. Patty Jenkins directs and writes the screenplay for this brutal and intense look at Aileen Wuornos and features a raw, unrecognisable and blisteringly powerful performance by Charlize Theron, that deservedly won her the Best Actress Oscar. It may be tough to watch at times, but the performances and the way it examines the damaged soul of Aileen Wuornos is what gives Monster an unforgettable amount of strength.

At the beginning of the film, we hear Aileen’s voice explaining about her dreams as a child. These are light shots of the fresh-faced little girl wanting to be a movie star. Then, we see the reality of it all. Aileen, alone on the highway, her face puffed up, her eyes like a wounded animal, contemplating suicide with a gun in her hand. Before she decides whether to kill herself, she walks into a bar to order a drink. It is here she meets Selby Wall, a naive, painfully shy outcast lesbian, who has been sent to live with family friends in order to “cure” her lesbianism. Although Aileen insists she isn’t a lesbian, she strikes up a deep emotional bond and eventually a relationship with Selby and finally feels she can connect with someone after the abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of men. Feeling a connection to her, Aileen attempts to get a real decent job, instead of being a prostitute. Try as she might, with no qualifications, she is turned down at every opportunity. Wanting to provide and survive now that she has Selby, Aileen returns to prostitution. One night a client goes too far and in a particularly graphic scene, rapes her. In self-defense, she shoots him dead and hides his body, later she takes his car. This assault on her sets of Aileen’s anger and rage towards men and she continues to work as a prostitute, but descends into killing her clients, even if they are innocent. 

What is interesting to watch in Monster is the way it shows Aileen. Unlike the tabloids that often sensationalize serial killers and not focus on why they committed the acts, Monster delves into the damaged psyche of Aileen and strangely, gets the audience to sympathise with her. The screenplay by Patty Jenkins doesn’t say that what Aileen did was right, but gives us reasons as to what drove her into killing.  Because of this, Aileen emerges as a multi dimensional character, rather than just a brutal serial killer. Most of this is down to the staggering and no holds barred performance by Charlize Theron. Theron is unrecognisable as Wuornos, she gained weight for the part, wore dental prosthetics and embodied many of her mannerisms with eerie similarity. You see Charlize Theron does not just play Aileen, she becomes her. We get a portrait of a damaged woman who has had to fend for herself after abuse and distrust and Theron shows both the vulnerability and coldness to her character. Charlize Theron thoroughly merited her Oscar for this powerful portrayal. Ably supporting her is Christina Ricci as Aileen’s lover, Selby. Ricci plays her with a naive way but also a spoilt and manipulative side in the case of wanting better things from Aileen. Selby’s introduction serves somewhat as a catalyst for the story, Aileen believes she can finally connect with someone and trust them. The relationship between the two is another interesting facet to the movie. We, as the audience may never know why Aileen did what she did, but Monster provides us with a gritty, interesting examination of a woman’s damaged soul and the consequences of her emotional scars.

Whether viewed as a portrait of a doomed relationship between two outcasts or as a study of a woman who was mistreated and in turn took matters into her own hands in her own way, Monster is still startling yet powerful viewing. Aided by the unforgettable performance of Charlize Theron , sterling support by Christina Ricci and Patty Jenkins gritty but sensitive direction , Monster is a film that is not easy to forget after viewing it.

The Addams Family

Tags

1990's, Anjelica Huston, Barry Sonnenfeld, Christina Ricci, Christopher Lloyd, Comedy, Dan Hedaya, Elizabeth Wilson, Horror, Jimmy Workman, Judith Malina, Raúl Juliá, The Addams Family

Film Title

The Addams Family

Director

Barry Sonnenfeld

Starring

• Anjelica Huston as Morticia Addams
• Raúl Juliá as Gomez Addams
• Christopher Lloyd as Uncle Fester/Gordon Craven
• Dan Hedaya as Tully Alford
• Elizabeth Wilson as Abigail Craven
• Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams
• Jimmy Workman as Pugsley Addams
• Judith Malina as Grandmama

Ideally cast and brimming with dark humour throughout, The Addams Family retains the dark edge of the original cartoons and incorporates some of the madcap moments from the original series. Focusing on a plot to extort the macabre clan out of money by an imposter posing as Uncle Fester, it is a devilish delight for all who watch.

The eponymous clan is a macabre extended family interested in all things dark and mysterious. They consist of the debonair Gomez and his morbidly elegant wife Morticia; their two mischievous children, Wednesday and Pugsley, old Grandmama; zombie like servant Lurch and disembodied hand Thing. For 25 years, Uncle Fester has been missing and Gomez is starting to suspect that his brother may truly be lost. Into the family’s delightfully ghoulish mansion comes Tully Alford, the lawyer who owes a debt to loan sharks. He wants Gomez to invest money as he knows he is worth a fortune, but the head of the family won’t budge. Whilst reporting back to the loan sharks, Abigail Craven and her brutish son Gordon, he notices that Gordon bears a striking resemblance to the long-lost Fester. Seeing the opportunity in this, they disguise him as Uncle Fester so he can infiltrate the Addams gold vault. Although he is welcomed back into the family, Wednesday is the one who begins to suspect that he is not really her Uncle. Gordon himself even comes to question whether he really is Fester as he feels a kinship towards the clan. Cue for ghoulish laughs, Gothic surroundings and the original kooky family.

The first thing to praise in the film is the overall visual look, capturing the gloomy atmosphere that the eponymous family enjoy so much. The mansion in which they live is cleverly constructed, consisting of long corridors, cobweb laden basements and spooky methods of transport. The lively music score perfectly compliments the macabre yet playful activities the family enjoys on a daily basis. One of the biggest assets of the picture is the script, that is laced with a dark humour and sinister joy. Morbidly humorous exchanges provide the most laughs such as when Morticia helps Fester unpack and finds cyanide. Her response “Fester, as if we’d run out”. It’s moments like this that keep the devilish film rolling on along with the many eccentric characters that abound.

The cast assembled for The Addams Family all fill their roles with comic glee and individuality. Raúl Juliá is suitably debonair and romantic as Gomez, he also has dark and lustful chemistry with Anjelica Huston. Huston embodies the role of Morticia, showing a loving mother and a cadaverous yet glamorous vamp, who can flirt like mad when needed and is a dab hand at sinister one liners.  Christopher Lloyd seems born to play the role of Fester, and is particularly convincing as his character begins to wonder whether he is Fester after all. A young Christina Ricci perfectly plays Wednesday with a morbid and severe personality, whilst showing a twisted side to her as she experiments on her brother in startling ways. Jimmy Workman excellently plays of Ricci as Pugsley, who although many times is the one used in experiments, he also manages to repay the favour in his own ghoulish way. In the supporting cast, Dan Hedaya and Elizabeth Wilson stand out as scheming con artists with only money on the mind. Judith Malina also makes an impression as the ragamuffin Grandma, who brings a whole new meaning to the word home cooking.

Even if the plot about the imposter doesn’t interest you, it shouldn’t detract from the humorous exploits of the creepy family and the glee that arises from them. Laced with dark humour and brought to life by Barry Sonnenfeld, The Addams Family is creepy yet fun to watch.