Vilaine

Though this thriller (about a teenage girl who develops a dangerous crush on her father when her mom dies) has the feel of a cable movie, with few characters and most of the scenes shot in a couple of locations, it was well-acted and had a plot that kept my interest. The characters develop quite effectively and you're never quite sure whodunnit and why, until the end. Worth renting.

Julia Stiles was the main draw for me to see this film, which genuinely lives up to its title (and then some). WICKED is a sneaky little twist on the let-me-be-your-wife-and-I-will-love-you-better-than-mom-ever-did genre, with great performances and excellently fleshed-out (NO pun intended) characters. Highly recommended for that late-night cable guilty pleasure.

If you're going to make a picture centering on a seductive nymphette with a fixation on keeping daddy all to herself, then do it with some courage and conviction. All you get here is slick innuendo for what's at the center of a routine murder mystery. If you're going to tackle this kind of subject matter, then TACKLE IT! On the plus side, Julia Stiles has the pouty, child-as-sex-symbol look nailed; and the rest of the cast also give some personality to their routinely drawn characters. All the ingredients for a good sleazy thriller are here, but sadly, it's all aimed at shocking only the most adolescent of sensibilities. Tasteful trash.

Wicked is a extremely bizzare film, there is such a varied mix of ideas that it is very hard to keep track of the story, the ideas are good ones there's a bit of who dunnit, murder, intrigue, sex, deception, being physcotic, dealing with you dad getting a new girlfriend and much more but Wicked just cant seem to link them altogether to make a good strong cohirent plot. The main story is after a women has a huge row with her daughter she is murdered in a very brutal manner, the police are trying to track down the killer but are having very little luck. All the way through the film the tension is very high and the atmosphere is very good, there a immense who dunnit as the writers throw in suspects left, right and centre. There is also a very intriguing plot twist when the daughter becomes ever obsessed with her dad. The gorey scenes are also very brutal for a 15 certificate. Julia Stiles puts in a good performance as a character who through the course of the film you see slowly going over the edge, the rest of the cast are very good to its just a shame that the poor writing let them down. Most of the film is quite good, going along at a good pace and adding more and more plot twists, but the ending is just the most ludicrous thing I have ever seen, you never really find out who killed the mum and its just a excuse for the to be a total blood bath, where people get there heads smashed in, their feet cut and a hole blasted through their heart.

I think Julia Stiles is a beautiful actress, so I was anxious to pick this movie up when it premiered on video last week. I was hoping it wouldn't be one of those dumb attempts to capitalize on the success of a now-popular star (i.e.: "American Virgin" with Mena Suvari). The movie actually premiered at the Caanes Film Festival in 1998, so I was a little suspicious as to why they pushed the release date (on video).

First of all, I was pleased to find out that Julia WAS the star. The plot is far from original, and works basically on an entertainment level. However, it has an oddly engaging sense of style that keeps you interested. There are ways to take a formulaic plot, and transform it into something unique and fun--"Wicked" is a fine example. The camera angles, the lighting, the creepy undertones (i.e.: incest) of a seemingly pleasant suburban community, the pacing and subtle comic relief beneath all the tension make this worth watching. This is like the work of a first-time independent filmmaker--and I don't mean that in a bad way.

It's also worthy of seeing the beautiful Julia in a good, early performance. This may not be a masterpiece or even a guilty pleasure worthy of several viewings, but it's a good movie and a good rental.

My score: 7 (out of 10)