DVD Review: In The Cut

02/23/04

It's pretty rare to find yourself thinking about a DVD a solid week after watching it. With the exception of blockbuster films, in fact, most DVDs get a good (or bad) rating and migrate to the Land of Forgotten Films. But not ?In The Cut.? This is one DVD that will have you saying ?wow? well after hitting eject. For a movie that got just as much billing for Meg Ryan's love scenes as it did for its acting, ?In The Cut? is an incredibly pleasant surprise, right up there with ?Bend it Like Beckham.? The acting, the plot, the incredible suspense?it?s all there. As far as recent DVDs go, in fact, this is definitely one to consider for an adult audience, particularly adults who enjoy a compelling whodunit that keeps you guessing until the last five minutes. Part of what makes the film so incredible is the attention that DVD watchers might initially pay to Meg Ryan?s love scenes. Sure, they?re steamy, but their sheer presence distracts people from realizing that ?In The Cut? is far more intense and far deeper than any innuendo or nude scene could ever hope to be. With such one-dimensional expectations, people will be surprised to walk away having witnessed an outstanding acting job from Meg Ryan and an engaging (yet gruesome) whodunit on par with Brad Pitt?s ?Se7en.? ?In The Cut? tells the tale of a teacher named Frannie Avery, played by Meg Ryan, who finds herself unwittingly enveloped in a seedy, sexual underworld of sorts where the police are trying to solve a series of gruesome serial killings. After being accosted on the street, Frannie finds herself erotically entangled with one of the key investigators, and as their relationship heats up, so does the murderous tension in her neighborhood. The story of ?In The Cut? most likely wouldn?t have been as effective as a non-American film. The reason for this is that the movie plays on many Americans? perception of sex as being dirty, dangerous and taboo, all qualities that add to the suspense surrounding Frannie and her relationships. As a result, it plays on the ?logical? assumption of moviegoers that her sexual relationship is not only taboo but dangerous, perhaps mortally. And that?s what keeps this film a whodunit until the very end. ?In The Cut? offers a fantastically suspenseful story, but the acting truly puts the DVD over the edge as a must-have for fans of intense thrillers. Meg Ryan?s performance not only breaks from her ?sweet girl next door? shtick, it also shows her heretofore-unknown range as an actress. Her ability to go from the typical ?When Harry Met Sally? type of roles to the suddenly sexually charged Frannie is as surprising as it is applauded, and at the end of the movie, it?s not the nude scenes you remember but her fantastic performance. Be forewarned, however, that even if the nudity had not been present, ?In The Cut? is still not appropriate for a young audience. Aside from the emotional and visual intensity, which will prove too much for young viewers, several scenes are at least as gruesome as those in ?Se7en,? Brad Pitt?s gory 1995 cop flick. It seems as though most DVD releases now include just as much bonus content as they do actual film. ?In The Cut? breaks that mold entirely. The most significant bonus feature on the ?In The Cut? DVD is a behind-the-scenes documentary with the cast and crew about the work that went into producing the film. The interviews with the director and the screenwriter are particularly intriguing, given that both were women who wrote/directed such a gripping noir story. The DVD also includes a Slang Dictionary as ?written? by Frannie Avery, since that was the main character?s academic pursuit in the film. As basic as it is, its inclusion of snippets from the film makes it just as much a lesson in slang as it is a lesson for would-be directors and screenwriters about the careful thought that goes into researching and producing a film. In spite of its minimal inclusion of bonus features, ?In The Cut? is an astounding DVD for fans of the detective/whodunit genre. Gritty, erotic and masterfully delivered, this is one DVD that stands out for the quality of its film alone, without relying on bells and whistles. What?s more, although the murders are solved at the end, fans of noir mysteries will want to watch the DVD multiple times for hints they may have missed the first time around. It might take a while to sink in, but when all is said and done, ?In The Cut? is an amazing movie for the adult film noir crowd.
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