Buy This Film
2005
Rated: R for strong sexual content, graphic language, and violence.
Genre: Drama Comedy Thriller
Directed By: Marcos Siega
Running Time: 1:45
Review by: Felix Vasquez Jr.
Review Date: 10/29/06
DVD Features:
None.

PRETTY PERSUASION

 

We saw this in “Heathers,” we saw this in “Jawbreaker,” we saw it in “Pumpkin,” and we saw this in “Mean Girls,” so why is “Pretty Persuasion” any different? I’m not sure, yet. Maybe because it’s indie. Yes, Indie makes it all better, doesn’t it? I love independent films as much as the next movie buff, but when they pretend to give us something new based on the aspect that its “independent,” I tend to be turned off by it. The main problem with “Pretty Persuasion” is that it’s too aware of itself.

It’s aware of its semi-fifties scenery and theme, it’s too aware of its message, and often times it’s so aware of the humor it’s trying to force on its audience, that its undoubtedly falls prey to its own smugness and collapses on its own hubris. Rich white people in closed off communities tend to be racist, and are so self-righteous they don’t realize their ignorance. Funny, huh? Siega and Halim really hope you think it is, because its attempts are subversion and controversy is often in vain.

 

The film anxiously conducts itself in a dark humor that’s supposed to be both sexy and disgusting, and hard as Wood may try in her attempts to seem devious and sexy, she fails in all aspects.

Her performance is sleepy as well as the remainder of the film’s aspects from plot right down to the script. Siega thinks he knows how to draw laughter from the audience, but the attempted commentary is incredibly limp. Terrorism, 9/11, racism, anti-Semitism, nothing is memorable here, and no jokes are ever actually worth laughing at; meanwhile when the comedy fails to hit its mark, Halim relies on despicable characters to finish the rest. The women are devious, conniving shrews, and the men are moronic, malcontents, and neither model is ever clever or worth a damn.

James Woods’ role as an utterly disgusting man who walks around in his underwear wiping semen from his leg, and calling sex lines is a gag with the sole intent of gauging the audience and nothing really more. Siega never makes proper use of anyone here, and with one fell swoop, Siega completely flushes his film down the toilet with one of the stupidest climaxes I’ve ever seen.

Siega and Halim’s attempt at dark social commentary is smug, ridiculous, and self-congratulatory. With drowsy performances, and a rehashed story, “Pretty Persuasion” is pure garbage.

 

 

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