Kathryn Bigelow
Strange Days

THE REVIEW

The end of a millennium of a world in ruins. The scenario in which the imagined events unfold and are transferred to this film is terribly dark, teetering between the metropolitan horrors of the ghettos and the cyberpunk imagery beloved by old Science Fiction novels.

In 1995, this "Strange Days" was quietly presented and was received by critics as a new dark gem of thriller/action filmography. As often happens with products of this kind, the public did not respond with great appreciation: complicated plot, action that is anything but pyrotechnic.

Lenny Nero, diligently portrayed by Ralph Fiennes, is the classic ex-cop who uses his past experience to move beyond the limits of legality by dealing a new drug, the "squid", which are removable implants applied to the head, allowing one to experience pre-recorded past experiences in a virtual reality style: if the squid seller had recorded himself while having sex or running on the beach, the consumer could feel the emotion of the orgasm and the fatigue of the feet sinking into the sand. All to the detriment of the poor brain cells already tested by traditional drugs and the stress of daily life.

When Lenny receives a squid tape containing a murder, the situation becomes complicated, bringing to light old ghosts of the past, conspiracies, madness.

The rhythm with which the events are shown is excellent: we are far from the frantic paces of disposable films that numb the new generations, but throughout its entire runtime, the film manages not to be pedantic, and there are no moments of boredom.

The Los Angeles depicted, around December 31, 1999, is in the grip of anarchy violently repressed by the obtuse forces of order, and its various aspects are not fully defined: it is not just a cold analysis of a futuristic society (for '95), but achieves remarkable figurative peaks, as if the whole affair is itself a trip from the aforementioned "cerebral" drug. A dark and pessimistic container for a complex plot. The final part is dreamlike.

The actors perform their roles credibly and effectively: Fiennes is a cynical and depressed protagonist, Angela Basset is his rational and determined counterpart; the skilled Juliette Lewis well interprets an ex-toxic morally questionable singer, an old flame of the sad Fiennes.

Ultimately, a beautiful film, a masterpiece in its genre, boasting a unique story and a subtle and refined unease that gives the work a "cursed" air.