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.

I thought that this film was very weird but at the same time i couldn't help but like it. it was one of the films that stuck in my head for ages after i saw it , i saw it 10 or so years ago now but still remember it well, its not to everyones taste but if you like a little break from the norm film i would have a watch its not like the rest of your kidnap and murder flicks its about an obsessed man who kidnaps his ex g/friend and cuts off her arms and legs to stop her getting away, its quite strange to see her there helpless and limbless and then the twist at the end is very good i don't think its one for the faint hearted but worth it if you don't mind weirdness with a little twist to top it off.

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.

Saw this when it first came out in 1993, when Sherilyn Fenn was the "It" girl. I only wanted to see it because it was directed by David Lynch's daughter and I wanted to see if she was as quirky as her legendary filmmaker dad. The first viewing made me think how great a Vincent Price vehicle this could have been. Like her father, Jennifer Lynch takes us on an eerie trip about obsession and control. Fenn is Helena, the one-time lover and object of a surgeon's (sands) affection. After an accident, he takes her to his house and amputates her limbs, then places her in a box and keeps her as his possession. Sands is subtly creepy and the film has a lot of psychological dynamics and is not as bad as its IMDb score suggests. This is a film you want to see when you're looking for something 180-degrees from run-of-the-mill.

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.