Garotas Selvagens

In Blue Bay's elite beach communities and into the murky waters of the Everglades, you would expect nothing beyond this venture until a guidance counselor (Matt Dillon) is accused of raping two high school students (Neve Campbell and Denise Richards). While they are two detectives on the cast (Kevin Bacon and Daphne Rubin-Vega), they find out there's more than meets the eye in the mystery of deceit, sex and greed.

Directed by John Mc Naughton (Herny:Portrait of a Serial Killer, Lansky, Normal Life) made an entertaining trashy noir that has an unique blend of sex, suspense, comedy and a twisted story. An terrific cast makes things enjoyable, which included:Theresa Russell, Robert Wagner and Bill Murray. This film wasn't much of a hit, when it was first released in the spring of 1998. But it turned into a cult hit on video.

The Unrated DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an good Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The Unrated DVD adds seven minutes of additional footage, which it has some good moments...especially during the end credits and the characters are more fleshed-out in the Unrated DVD. "Wild Things" has an good moody music score by George S. Clinton (Austin Powers Trilogy) and striking camera work by Jeffery L. Kimball (Jacob's Ladder, Stigmata, True Romance) are one of the highlights of this guilty pleasure film. Bacon is also the film's executive producer. Murray is a hoot in his minor role as Dillon's lawyer. Written by Stephen Peters. Panavision. (****/*****).

Yes, it's lurid. Yes, it's trashy. Yes, it doesn't stand up to close scrutiny. And yes, if you're the sort of person who specialises in spotting plot twists, then you're probably going to do well here.

But if you haven't seen this film before, and you're prepared for something a bit on the lurid and trashy side, and you can manage to steer clear of the many spoilers among the reviews here, then you just might find that Wild Things is a fun ride.

Because there are, it's true, a number of twists and turns, and not everyone sees them coming. And if you aren't a twist-spotter, but you enjoy movies with twists, then you are going to enjoy this one.

I thought it was great fun. And, let's be fair, who's watching Denise Richards' acting?

Good picture and sound quality, well cast, colours are strong and clear and the outdoor scenes are bathed in sunlight, skin tones look natural and not too bright. A playfully piano score and some pop music makes up the soundtrack.

Denise Richards & Neve Cambell did a good job in their roles. Richards plays a shallow split beauty, a good character for her, she's not convicting anyone as a nuclear scientist. Bill Murray adds a touch of comic relief. The film is a bit of a deconstruction of a fictional rich shallow community in the USA. A web of greed, corruption, conspiracy and lies quickly unravels. Neve Cambell was great playing a totally different character to Scream a year before. However comparing her figure to Denise Richards, Cambell does look a bit short and squat when they're both next to each other but I suppose the cinematographer couldn't do much about that. The ending is a bit dumb too, and the overuse of twists starts to make it feel very one note.

Wild Things is a fantastic example of what can be achieved by not worrying about substance and having a film play for straight entertainment value. Here we have a film that takes elements such as beautiful stars, beautiful locations and a bucket load of plot twists and blends it all into a highly enjoyable film experience. Of course, Wild Things doesn't always come across very realistically and, at times even, it's downright ridiculous; but it's done in such a way that it doesn't matter, and because of that we have a film that can do what it wants. The film is helmed by John McNaughton, who had his first success with the cult horror flick Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. It has to be said that the scene setting and way that the plot moves is somewhat ham-fisted, as sometimes it's painfully obvious that certain sections of the film exist only to give it another selling point; the argument that starts out between Denise Richards and Neve Campbell beside a swimming pool being a case in point. However, McNaughton makes good of these selling points, and for every three way sex scene and absurd plot twist, the film gains an extra point for trashy entertainment value.

It's not immediately obvious what Wild Things is going to be about, as the first twenty minutes serve only in setting the scene and from that base, the film could easily turn into any teenage school flick. However, it turns out that this time is well used; as by nulling the audience into a false sense of security, the film is able to make sure that every twist comes as a surprise. The film benefits from a great big name cast, which is anchored by Matt Dillon; who gives one of his best performances. Dillon clearly enjoys himself, and his persona is able to suit both the sleazy and upstanding nature of his character. Kevin Bacon sleepwalks and isn't really able to show his true talent, and similarly Neve Campbell looks out of place (sexy with it) in her role as a teenage junkie. However, Denise Richards rounds the piece of nicely with a charged performance and the ensemble is nicely topped off by the likes of Bill Murray, Theresa Russell and Robert Wagner. The settings that the movie takes place in look great, and ensure that there's more eye candy than just the female leads. Director McNaughton presents a fabulously mysterious atmosphere which obviously bodes well with the plot and, on the whole, if you want a couple of hours of entertainment; you can do a lot, lot worse than this twisty little flick.

Based on the trailers, I expected this to be a low-budget, B-movie that showed off the anatomies of pretty girls - not that that is entirely bad - but I do expect more from a movie.

In actuality, this is a very, very good plot that is executed well by the principal actors. Neve Campbell, Denise Richards (surprisingly), and especially Matt Dillion turn in very good performances. I always enjoy Bill Murray and his part in this movie, although fairly small, adds some levity.

I can't comment too much on this movie without spoiling it, except to say that things aren't always what they expect to be. There are a lot of plot twists, some that probably couldn't stand tremendous scrutiny, but are realistic enough to keep the audience engaged.

The other technical aspects of the movie - direction and cinematography - are done very well, too. That is, they are unobtrusive.

This really is a thoroughly entertaining film, and while it does contain one rather steamy scene, is not a cheap sex film, but a well-thought out, well-executed story. I highly recommend it.