Review of The Center of the World (2001) by Tonypolito — 18 Aug 2010

This well-done, MPAA-unrated film, brimming with strong sexual content, is best categorized as "intellectual erotica," a genre with lean offerings, to be sure.

Everyone knows that the 'interactions' in a gentleman's club do not reflect any true reality of interest or human contact yet people routinely engage in them as though they were. Director Wang uses this observation as a starting point to explore the increasing loss of reality and humanistic interaction all of us experience in a modern society now filled with poor substitutes.

In the end, the viewers are confronted (through Parker's "self-finale") with the fact that they too (just as the protagonists of this film) have grown far too comfortable with being unable to distinguish reality from its simulation, too easily substituting the latter for the former.

After spending 90 minutes pretending (or not pretending) to be sexually attracted to, and sexually satisfied by, Sarsgaard, exotic dancer Parker begins her own self-finale, asking him "You wanna see real? Here's real." Parker's speaking to the audience as well, who's assuredly forgotten that it's NOT real, rather merely a film being watched, no matter what she 'really' did (or did not) do to herself in front of the camera.

Merits several viewings in order to move beyond the intense sexual imagery, to focus upon on the subtle symbolism emphasizing the director's rich underlying theme.

Parker here takes on yet another challenging role, one too controversial for other actors (as is her nature), and delivers an outstanding and convincing performance. So convincing that viewers will be unsure what Parker 'really experienced' in her "self-finale" - an uncertainty that is fully on-point with Wang's message.

Sexy, smart and well recommended.