Amateur

Isabelle is an ex-nun waiting for her special mission from God. In the meantime, she is making a living writing pornography. She meets Thomas, a sweet, confused amnesiac who cannot remember that he used to be a vicious pornographer, responsible for turning his young wife, Sofia, into the world's most notorious porn queen.

What I liked about this film was how it circled around pornographic topics, but was never itself obscene. The language is rarely crude, and there is either no nudity or such small amounts to be almost unnoticeable. Yet, three of the main characters are (or were) actively involved in the pornography business.

I also liked the cheesy line delivery (such as the bit about "floppy disks"). I don't know if this was intentional, or something that just happened because they actresses were foreign... but it added a nice charm, I thought.

Just stumbled across this movie on STARZ CINEMA. Never hear of it, the director (who apparently has a following) or most of the actors. But I remembered Isabelle Huppert from "Bedroom Window" years ago, and she was worth a look.

What a piece of work! The most inspired, goofy film noir dialogue you will ever hear spoken, by deadpanned actors that somehow still grow on you. The missing person police officer who is heartbroken with every case. The virgin nymphomaniac, when asked how that combination can exist, says "I'm Choosy!" Since she's an ex-nun, I suppose that's true. The former porn star (what a sultry look!!) who wants to become a "mover and a shaker". Priceless stuff. This is also a very gentle R, with almost no profanity or nudity, in its sex crazed, porn sort of way.

Many other IMDb people have given plot points, and either love or hate the presentation, but anyone who was not flat out hysterical when the "hitman" got shot, should stick to TV sitcoms. It was a pure Monty Python worthy moment!!

A month after seeing this movie, I cannot remember how it ends. A waste of time. Some interesting characters - a nun writing porno, yuppie hit men - but they are never developed. Instead, they are stock, quirky types. You never get a feel of their inner lives.

Hal Hartley's "Amateur" is an engagingly offbeat take on the "crime thriller" genre. It is also perhaps the most quietly thoughtful handling of amnesia (not as a plot trick, but as a subject) you're ever likely to see. But be warned: Hartley's refreshingly non-mainstream, detached, minimalist style takes quite some getting used to, and the ending is needlessly downbeat. (**1/2)

At times hilarious and at others mind numbingly boring and dull, this is certainly something different. Your milage with the affected acting, long pauses, deadpan delivery, and scattershot plot may vary, but it's usually interesting. Check it out if you want something off the beaten path.