Review of Pretty Persuasion (2005) by Eduardo C — 07 Mar 2007

Tonally, this is one of the odder films of recent memory. It ackwardly straddles the line between black comedy, satire, social commentary and parable never quite finding its stride. The film is brave, insightful, wicked but never goes for broke, its focus is either too broad or too narrow, so it does not truly work.

However, the performances are great (Evan Rachel Wood is the standout, and is almost unrecognizable here as she is better known for her gentler, kinder roles), the dialogue is very strong (the writer has a gift for incisive speech that cuts through the bullshit, and Evan Rachel Wood's character in particular speaks in a rehearsed, scripted manner that is very appropriate) and the direction is surprisingly strong, it manages to take the film seriously and never comes out the worse for it.

The ending raises several themes, but the film has not developped them enough by this point to earn them. All of them are interesting (though one seems to betray the film's satiric/cynical ways) but could and should have been handled differently. Had they not appeared at the end, odds are no one would have noticed or missed them.

The film does not work. However, I refuse to fault a picture for being too intelligent for its own good. I would much rather watch a film that fails because it tries to do too much than too little, hence I am endorsing this one. It may not work, but it is very interesting to sit through.