Sedutora e Diabólica

I just saw this film's world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The movie starts off with Mini, played by Nikki Reed as a spoiled and manipulating child of a wealthy actress (Carrie Anne Moss). (ala Heathers). Anyway, Mini decides to work as a call girl for the heck of it, and one of her first clients is her step-father (Alec Baldwin). They begin a torrid love affair and devise a plan to drive Moss crazy so that they can be together (ala Gaslight). Predictably, the plan turns to murder. And "then" the movie gets really dark.

The first half of the film was really good as the various scenarios devised to make Moss go crazy are inspired and original. However, in the second half of the movie, the plot begins to fall apart and things just get too creepy. Also, the "twist" at the end is somewhat obvious throughout the film.

Finally, I still cant figure out why Jeff Goldblum is in this movie. He's a really good actor, but his character was superfluous and pointless. It seems the only reason he's even in this movie was to add some improv scenes and have him make strange faces for pointless comedy. Has Jeff Goldblum turned into the comedic version of Christopher Walken?

Mini's First Time is not the first time this film has been made and released with a target audience in mind. Mini's First Time, starring Alec Baldwin, Nikki Reed, Jeff Goldblum and Carrie-Ann Moss rehashes the same old dark humor American Beauty made mainstream. Equipped with almost an identical soundtrack as American Beauty, Mini tries too hard to be cool. Other than the excellent performances by both Baldwin and Moss, the film is bereft of any originality and seems to take itself to seriously for its own good. Nikki Reed, although young and annoying at first becomes more and more bearable as the film progresses, and towards the end is actually acceptable. Playing the young femme fatale, Reed lends her sexuality and small amount of talent to the screen, whilst simultaneously captivating my attention with her eyes. Goldblum plays the same character he's been playing the last few years, straight out of Igby Goes Down, complete with the riches and lust for infidelity. This film does portray the rich of the Hollywood hills very well, so well that after 10 minutes or so you feel like part of the group (morning drinking, promiscuity, and infidelity). These attributes have become so mainstream in todays wealthy, dark humor, family films that it does not seem to affect me anymore like it did the first time I sat down to watch Less Than Zero or American Beauty. The film does have an edgy direction, and sometimes interesting cinematography. Unfortunately the amateur narration, by Reed, takes away from some of the realism and leaves the film feeling dull at times. Of course, not all of the film is backwash, and the director Nick Guthe does show promise in his search for something original. Unfortunately Guthe did take the risk of being cliché, and with all intents and purposes hit the nail right on the target.

Everyone is saying that this movie is dark...what could be darker than The Quiet!!! This movie is not as dark as some other movies that I have seen. What happens is not exactly right but it is not that DARK! The movie itself is very well done. Again, this is the second movie I have seen where the mother is so out of it that she does not really need a role in the movie. It is ridiculous in the sense that I am sure she just has a few lines. Alec Baldwin acts well as a man being controlled by his sexual appetite. It is a very funny movie. Nikki Reed is a good actress but needs to do something different. She has always done these roles of screwed up teenager. She won't be a teen for long and if she is not careful, her career will be over once she starts looking more mature. The twist in the movie is very interesting. i would say a must see at home with a few friends. Not academy award winning but very entertaining.

If you're a fan of this genre, you'll love this film. If not probably not for you, but one of the funniest films I've seen in a long time. Depraved, unrelenting, will probably scare the hell out of some parents or Christian fundamentalists who think Hollywood is glorifying deviant behavior in our teens.

The conceit of the film, a girl who will try anything once is very effective because you're always wondering where this philosophy will take us next. Without giving anything away, this idea mixed with an ethereal, driving score pulls you into Mini's world and you'll follow her anywhere.

The performances by all 5 leads are incredible. Baldwin gives his best performance in years and that's saying a lot because he's been doing great work. It's easily the best I've seen this year so far in any film by a male lead. He renders this macho, yet beaten down PR exec in a way where although he doesn't deserve our sympathy, he gets it.

Reed is astonishing. Part vixen, part little girl lost, the glee with which she sets about her goals, takes a character who is, in fact a sociopath and makes you respect and like her. Although what she does is without a doubt destructive there is an implicit understanding that she is surrounded by adults who only pretend to be moral. Her intellectual honesty is actually refreshing.

Her performance works in part because of Carrie Anne Moss' willingness to deliver one of the most chilling and hilarious performances in years as Mini's mother. The incarnation of Hollywood self absorption. It's clear that Mini wasn't born this way, she is a product of Diane's utter lack of mothering. Mini is an inconvenient appendage in Diane's life and Diane lets her know it whenever she can.

Jeff Goldblum is spot on perfect as their TV producer neighbor, whose lighthearted, Dionysian life is a constant thorn in Baldwin's side. Luke Wilson also gives as subtle a performance as he has in years. At first playing an incarnation of his sad sack Mitch from "Old School" and then switching on a dime to show us just how smart this detective has been all along. The look of muted terror on Baldwin's face when he realizes how he's been the recipient of Wilson's own PR play is priceless.

I'm sure some parents groups will attack it as encouraging teenagers to turn on their parents and to indulge in the darkest parts of society, but it really felt like a cautionary tale about what happens when kids know in their bones that they aren't loved.

Mini (Nikki Reed) is bored with her life. Her mother Diane (Carrie-Anne Moss) is a boozing gold-digger. Her latest catch is her stepfather Martin (Alec Baldwin). Mini is always looking for challenging "Firsts" and joins an escort service. Her client turns out to be her stepfather Martin. They begin a secret affair behind her mother's back and then scheme to get rid of her.

This tries to be a black comedy. It tries and tries but can't quite get there. The writing has nothing new and lacks funny jokes. The biggest problem may be Nikki Reed. She looks sexy in skimpy outfits but doesn't excel in comedic roles. She's better as the femme fatale. The movie is not quite dark enough to push the envelop of black comedies. This is all very familiar and simply less than good.