"In the Cut, " (2003). Starring Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Director Jane Campion. Written by Jane Campion and Susanna Moore. This movie seemed so bizarre at first. I had trouble figuring out where I was being led. The male/female relationships were not the usual romantic type. And Meg Ryan always seemed to react to the advances of individual males as if she had just had a bone chilling premonition. And to be truthful, I wondered why the men did not react to the female lead in a normal attraction mode. After the film was over, it occurred to me the title of the movie was a clue. The men in this story represented the type who possessed a big, dark predatory instinct. This type of man sees that in order to get "in the cu*t," he has to role play. He has to pretend to be attracted, make the right moves, and the lady will succumb to his efforts. He has lured her to place where he can get to do what he fantasizes about, a woman victim in "the cut" of his knife or razor. The women fantasize about romance leading to marriage. Marriage imagery runs throughout the film. They fantasize about undying love and everlasting, till-death-do-us-part marriage. Never dreaming that the undying love and death do part is coming up quick and so is his undying fantasy. So "in the cu*t" and "in the cut" are the adminatio enlaced throughout.
It is similar to the Lacy Peterson murder paradigm. Goldie Hawn's movie "Deceived" had this theme. In Deceived, her husband confesses that his understanding was that marriage to him was a temporary role playing for sex and why should women feel deceived? Men who kill their wives have this view of marriage.
The acting, direction, cinematography, and art direction were excellent. The make up was kicked up a notch. Was quite gory. This movie was a tour de force by women and for women. Ladies, to be forewarned is to be forearmed. I give it 5 of 5 stars. It's on Roku.
Review of In the Cut
