Snake Eyes - Les yeux de serpent

One of the first movies in a while to really drag me in, possibly thanks to the performances of the leads.

This feels REAL, and it's intense. A movie about the making of a movie where the drama is just as solid and visceral off-screen as it is on, but it's not some reality TV rubbish, it's a deeper reflection on life and relationships. That is, the movie that's depicted as being filmed, and the movie you're watching.. like layers of Inception.

This movie studies what people need to be whole, whether they're intrinsic or extrinsic, whether they need others, need drugs, need alcohol, money, god, or can be whole within themselves. The confusion that lust sows. The conflicts that occur when those needs are at odds between partners. The nature of need. How sometimes when we love someone, they become a part of us, and the separation becomes physical.

Finally a movie that was worth my time.

While shooting a movie in Los Angeles about the abused wife Sarah Jennings (Madonna) that has converted to Christian and her husband Francis Burns (James Russo) that misses their orgies, the New Yorker director Eddie Israel (Harvey Keitel) pushes his lead actor and actress to the edge affecting their real lives. Eddie has one brief affair with Sarah but he feels also affected by his work and confesses the truth about his many infidelities to his wife Mad Israel (Nancy Ferrara), blurring fiction and reality and destroying his marriage.

"Dangerous Game" is a sort of experimental "movie within a movie" showing a parallel journey to hell of the character, lead actor and director blended with sex, drugs and booze. The result is a strange and unpleasant movie but very well acted, especially by Madonna that has a magnificent and very convincing performance. It is not entertaining and certainly not the best film of Abel Ferrara, but for fans like me it is worthwhile watching it. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Olhos de Serpente" ("Eyes of Snake")

This is a strange and disturbing experimental movie. A rare and great performance by Madonna. She actually can act under the control of the right director. Although, I hear she hated. It seems ironic that she finally makes a good movie and doesn't even realize it. I guess she made some complaints that she thought her character was going to be stronger. (Funny, if she wants to be a Feminist Avenger, or some kind of role model of strength, maybe she shouldn't have made a career out of exploiting herself for fame and the all mighty dollar. Okay, now I'm ranting, but isn't funny how men are especially really down with the NeoFeminist Bull about how it's actually empowering for women to exploit themselves.) Ferrara plays with the autobiographical nature of the subject matter. The plot centers on a film director who compartmentalizes his personal and professional life, until the secrets of his professional life overwhelm him.

Not a particularly entertaining movie this one, but definitely an interesting watch when you take into consideration not only the movie, but the similarities which surrounded its release. And of course Madonna, who (unwittingly?) gives the best performance of her much ridiculed celluloid career.

The film revolves around director Eddie Israel (Keitel) and his supporting cast members in their journey to film the uber-dark relationship drama 'Mother of Mirrors'. Starring alcoholic drug dependent Francis Burns (James Russo) and recent Christian convert Sarah Jennings (Madonna) the film within a film blurs over into real life, leaving the viewer confused about whether the actors are acting their character in 'Mother', their character in 'Dangerous Game' or even their character in real life. The confusion even seems apparent on set, with one directors clapper-board shots with the movies real director A. Ferrara noted on it.

In reality, Ferrara had to resort to accepting finance for the film by Madonna's Maverick Films and thus also accepting its MD as his leading actress. Madonna once said that when she attended the premiere she left the theatre crying as it was in her eyes a completely different movie, and all her best scenes were cut. Dig a little deeper with this one and you might be able to see the underlying story which is far more interesting than what's bubbling on the surface.

Psychological drama within a drama, centered around a film shoot, where the line between reality and the film's story start to blur.