Straightheads

[blue]

Watched this over the weekend, a notable British film from last year featuring a great leading performance by Gillian Anderson.

She plays an icy, predatory character living a high-flying life in London. The film opens as she returns to her flat after work, where a security system is being installed by a young, rather easily swayed young man whom Anderson proceeds to seduce and take to a swanky party at her boss's house in the country. On the way back after a highly-charged evening, the couple are briefly caught up in a minor skirmish with another car which eventually leads to them being subjected to a horrifying attack by the occupants. The young man is beaten to a pulp and loses the sight in an eye, Anderson's character is beaten and raped.

Returning to London, the couple try to rebuild their lives but the psychological devastation caused by the violence leaves them unable to move on. The desire for revenge, principally in Anderson's character, takes over their lives and results in a savage 'justice' that highlights how toxic the effects of violence are to the human spirit.

Wonderful performance by Gillian and her young co-star, a very bleak film that makes you think about the whole subject of justice versus revenge. Very underrated.

I also love that it's a British film that isn't about football, posh types in Notting Hill or East End gangsters.

[RobB]

Thanks for the review, Beth.
Sounds like a film I should check out and starring Gillian Anderson is a definate bonus.

[sound world]

Sounds good but I shall be giving it a wide berth as I can't take graphic violence

[RobB]

Sounds good but I shall be giving it a wide berth as I can't take graphic violence

Its only pretend Dave........honest.

[blue]

I find it quite difficult to watch violence in films myself Dave, having been on the receiving end of it in my own life, but precisefly because of that I think it's a really important subject, one that's very rarely discussed in an honest way in films - usually it's just gratuitous and glamourised, it's not often a film like this comes along that shows it for what it is - corrosive to the soul. The journey that the young man takes in this film is particularly harrowing and sad, and shows how violence spreads like poison.

Gillian Anderson excels in her part - she's a limited actress in some ways, but she really plays these icy, emotionally remote characters very, very well.

[RobB]

I've just secured a copy of the dvd from eBay.
Hopefully it will have arrived by the weekend.

[blue]

I'll be interested to hear what you think of it Rob - it's not the sort of film you can say 'hope you enjoy it' about, more the kind that makes you think about the central subject, so I guess it depends on how well you think the sunject is handled.

Still, even if you don't think much of it, you get to see Gillian in the nuddie.

Incidentally, I found an interview with her on youtube to promote the film, and she seems to have completely reverted back to her English self since she settled here a few years ago - she sounds like the Crouch End girl she really is. I'll post the link if I find it again.

[RobB]

Still, even if you don't think much of it, you get to see Gillian in the nuddie.

That'll do nicely.

[blue]

Here's a little snippet of her talking to the director about why she decided to do the film, I just love the English accent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCUdAwmx100


Talking a bit about the central subject of the film, the violence that takes over the lives of the main characters (she touches a bit on what Daniel was saying the other day in the 'sick world' topic, about how we're all desensitised to certain kinds of violence because of constant exposure in the media):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNHkkMpS ... re=related

[RobB]

The dvd has arrived this morning so I plan to watch it this evening.
I'll then be able to listen to Gillian on the YouTube link...........I don't like having too much info on films before I get to watch them.

[d.a.walker]

Watched this on Saturday and thought it was superb.

[blue]

I've watched it a few times since my initial posts, it doesn't lose any of its capacity to bring home the toxic effects of violence. The scene where Anderson exacts her revenge on her rapist has to be one of the most difficult things I've ever watched. Really makes you think.

[RobB]

How strange!
Last evening ,with nothing on the telly as usual,I decided to watch a dvd so I just randomly looked through my dvds and picked out Straightheads......and it was about the exact time you made your post,Beth.
Spooky?

At about 70 minutes its quite a short film but its certainly a very powerful film and they certainly manage to fit a lot in.

Speaking of which , during the rape-revenge secene,I did unfortunately keep having visions of Corporal Jones shouting out 'they don't like it up em,Mr Mainwaring,they do not like it up em'.

[blue]

How strange!
Last evening ,with nothing on the telly as usual,I decided to watch a dvd so I just randomly looked through my dvds and picked out Straightheads......and it was about the exact time you made your post,Beth.
Spooky?

Synchronicity! I love it.

Speaking of which , during the rape-revenge secene,I did unfortunately keep having visions of Corporal Jones shouting out 'they don't like it up em,Mr Mainwaring,they do not like it up em'.

Good god Rob, you're probably the only man alive who could giggle at that! I found it absolutely horrible to watch, and it was interesting to note the feeling it left me with ... I have to admit, as a woman who feels strongly about the effects of sexual violence on victims, I've often found myself thinking that rapists should have the same thing done to them, but after watching this film I realised that no human being deserves such a thing. That any such revenge ultimately corrupts everyone involved, which I think is the overall message of the film.

[RobB]

There was a 'twist' to the revenge when the victim found out that her attacker's motivation was to protect his daughter,allowing the viewer some sympathy for his plight.

And the victim did search her conscience before finally deciding to carry out her revenge although she then wanted her co-victim to hold back on his revenge.

Its a complicated situation although I thought the film was both fair and non-judgemental in the end about whether the need for revenge was valid.

A very thoughtful film where the violence was soften (or maybe heightened?) by the beauty of the Shropshire countryside.