Boxing Helena

The reason this film was so despised by critics is because they believe that all films graphic and disturbing in content should be taken seriously. Not so. Julian Sands creates a truly despicable character here, and the more we hate him, the higher the testament to his performance. Easily the best of his career. Sherilyn Fenn, the finest actress of her generation, is only slightly more sympathetic in the titular role, and only because of what happens to her! About the Basinger controversy? I'll never understand that. Fenn is ten times more beautiful and infinitely more talented. A hilariously sick, visually stunning, highly entertaining film.

This is an hypnotic, powerful tale of obsession and eroticism. Sherilyn Fenn is wonderful as Helena and gives a performance way beyond the cherry-sucking antics of Twin Peaks. Despite the torture inflicted on Helena, Fenn's portrayal never allows you to feel abject horror, as her Helena remains caustic, tough and impossible to break throughout the film. Julian Sands is good, although he maybe over-eggs the pudding a bit in some of the more gruelling scenes. The first sight of Helena propped up in bed without legs is never forgotten and the special effects make her amputations incredibly realistic. It's just a shame that the ending is such an appalling cop-out, sanitised for viewers who couldn't accept that love and need can blossom in the sickest of circumstances. In fact, I felt tears of frustration well up at the ending because I felt so cheated! If only it had been braver, this would have been a film of groundbreaking proportions. Fenn is great though and acts the hell out of Kim Basinger, the original choice. Watch it but don't build yourself up for the ending.

I don't understand why people don't appreciate this movie. You have to realize that the beginning of the movie establishes how obsessed the main character is with Helena. She reminds him of his mother. Then he does not just have a "dream" about what happens like some people suggest. He is taking medication and drinks it down with a glass of wine. It is suggested that if he does not take the meds strange things happen to his mind. The hallucination helps him to realize how he needed to stay away from Helena before his obsession made something bad happen. It is established in the movie that he has some serious psychological problems to deal with because of his mother. I also find it amazing how they managed to turn the tables and have Helena realize that no one would ever love her the way he does. The seen where Bill Paxton comes in and is repulsed and Helena begs him to leave is amazingly powerful. I loved Julian Sands and Sherilyn Fenn. They were both perfect. He was pitiful and she was raw. Keep an open mind and watch for the meanings behind what the actors are doing.

''such a nice fantasy'' ?????

To me the whole point of this film was to wrap you up in what is an extremely sick and obsessive male fantasy, make you almost believe it is OK, and then at the end you look at what you have accepted and realise it for what it is.

Boxing Helena is not comfortable watching, but I think a brilliant and involved portrayal of how people(men generally) justify and accept the most controlling acts and confuse them with love.

Don't pay any attention to the silly people giving this 4.8 and trust me when I tell you that this is a deep psychological journey into the depth of one person's narcissistic rejection that is so damned possibly true that it needs to be watched if only for the education and warning. The 4.8 is due to pretentious 'pro' reviewers thinking that the film is in bad taste etc when in fact it is a tour de force worthy of so much more... If Daddy Lynch had of made it then it'd of gotten a 7+ but because it is the daughter of the great man then the haters are out to hate. A heavy heavy film...