watched
center of the world tonight. it was shot on low-quality dv--or what was likely high quality at the time (it's from 2001)--and because of the lighting it was incredibly grainy at times. i recognize that this is a rather minor complaint (some of the other movies that i watch are shot on regular video for chrissakes), but the story just didn't enthrall me. i couldn't empathize with any of the characters, and their plight/relationships weren't interesting. and even when it felt like the two characters were supposed to be developing feelings for each other, it was still awkward and sarsgaard came off as a little obsessed and crazy.
it just felt like a typical indie dramedy, heavy on the drama. well, i would say so because i know i wasn't laughing.
just a warning now--this review may contain spolies, so i'm going to do this:
SPOILERS! (Click to view)
peter sarsgaard plays a techno-wizard/computer geek with more money than he knows what to do with (and seemingly more responsibilities than he knows how to handle) but also a profound sense of loneliness. molly parker plays florence, a stripper/drummer who he pays to go to las vegas with him for a long weekend. what starts off as a slightly creepy john/whore relationship (though florence refuses penetration and mouth-kissing), eventually turns to something else as they get to know each other and they let each other into each others' worlds (including a kind of cute scene where he teachers her to play what looks like unreal tournament).
but, when they do kiss, she freaks, and then it cuts to a flashback scene of richard (sarsgaard) masturbating to internet porn.
so florence is freaking, and then her abused friend comes over and there are some allusions between her friend's (jerri) abuser and richard, and then all of a sudden jerri and florence start making out and jerri comes on to richard and jerri and florence fight and blah blah blah, meditations on what a whore really is, were there ever any feelings between the two of them in the first place, she leaves, he broods, starts losing respect with his business partners, wanders around vegas looking disheveled and sad, downward spiral, he's so lonely, she's feeling guilty, we're supposed to feel bad for both of them but we don't, sarsgaard talks dirty to his computer, she comes back and starts dancing for him because that's what she thinks he wants but he's uninterested so she cries, and they kiss, and who the fuck cares?
it's all supposed to be emotional (maybe?) but it's not. it's supposed to show how even creepy rich internet millionaires have feelings too, but it doesn't. it's supposed to show how stripper/drummer girls who don't want to be whores can possibly develop feelings for creepy internet millionaires, but it doesn't.
and then all of a sudden they have sex, she denies all feelings, and richard gets royally dumped upon, and then he gets emotional and rapes her and then cries because she doesn't love him back.
it all ends with sarsgaard deciding (in voice-over...hooray!) that he doesn't need anybody else and doesn't need anything but his computers and his home because he controls that world, but then he goes back to the strip club where florence works, she approaches him, they converse, here's a call back to their first strip-club meeting, and fade to red, we're done.
have we learned anything? no, except maybe that sometimes computers can damage emotional development and societal skills.
have we felt anything for richard? no, aside from a little bit of disgust and pity.
have we felt anything for florence? not really because we never really figure out what the hell her deal is.
color me thoroughly unimpressed.
interestingly enough, the director, wayne wang, is also the guy responsible for directing maid in manhattan, because of winn-dixie, last holiday, and the joy luck club--movies that i would not associate with a film in which we get a graphic (but brief) look at porn star alisha klass sticking a lollipop inside herself.
hmmm.
i guess i've seen worse?
2 out of 5.
