Strange Days (Kathryn Bigelow)

Rating: 2.0

This film makes no sense whatsoever.  Now, most action films make no 
sense whatsoever, but the best ones are so exciting that you're willing 
to overlook plot holes and character deficiencies; STRANGE DAYS is loud 
and garish, but I didn't find it particularly thrilling, and so I spent 
most of the film thinking "Wait a minute..."  What's more, it doesn't 
even take advantage of its own gimmick; most of the plot elements that 
hinge on "wire-tripping" don't require such visionary technology--a 
camcorder would do.  I found all three of the principal actors 
alternately dull and irritating, though Fiennes had a few sleazy 
moments.  (Why are strong female characters in movies like this never 
permitted a sense of humor, by the way?)  And if you thought James 
Cameron tried to cram a message down your throat at the end of TERMINATOR 
2 and THE ABYSS, just wait until you catch this film's conclusion.  What 
attracted the New York Film Festival?  I'm honestly perplexed.