I Want You
buy videos, movies
|
 |
Features
• PAL
In Theaters : 1997 |
| [ + Zoom ] [ Buy Now ] |
Video : This item is currently not available. |
|
I Want You Customer Reviews
|
|
|
|
♥♥♥♥♥
|
It's not about Helen.
|
I WANT YOU is the fascinating coming-of-age account of 14-year old professional voyeur, Honda, a mute Balkan orphan emigre, whose link to the world is through his obsessive collection of rather dark data using his inexplicably high-tech sound and video equipment (yep, we're dealing with meta-cinema here). He spends most of his time observing his friend and the object of his affection, hairdresser Helen (yes, Rachel Weisz), and her sociopathic, recently released on parole ex-bf Martin (Alessandro Nivola, LAUREL CANYON). Desensitized to sexuality by his promiscuous, carefree older sister who sings in a Sade-meets-Portishead band and sleeps in the adjacent room, Honda may be gathering explicit material, but he's not some peeping tom getting off; rather, he's trying desperately to make sense of the madness of the adults in the world around him. (Interestingly enough, despite all the sex scenes in the film the most sensual moment involves the shampooing and cutting of hair.) Yet despite all his empirical evidence, Honda can't see what is around the corner, what he will finally learn from these star-crossed lovers (nor can we guess, or maybe I'm just slow). Actually, Honda's sister puts it best when, while naked, she's asked if she feels guilty about what she does. Her response made me reflect (and yes this is purely subjective, and no, this should not be some great revelation) on the fact that we tend to tolerate violence and insanity in this country while shunning anything so natural as the human body and what it is supposed to do (especially with regard to movies, which mirror our hang-ups).
Fresh off a first viewing, it seems to me there are so many amazing things going on in this film - the brilliant use of color (contrasting yellows and blues, public and private), stirring images that lodge themselves in your brain, and the very generous way in which Michael Winterbottom refuses to judge his brilliant enacted principal characters - that it is rather upsetting to see it is being so horribly misunderstood. The unfortunately packaged I WANT YOU might be seem at first glance like a thriller with an underdeveloped plot, but the word 'meditation' is far more appropriate here. Don't expect a genre work-out - let the images reveal the characters and the story (it's a movie, not a book!!!), stop waiting for convoluted plot twists, and then this movie just might pull the rug out from under you as it did me. Or maybe not, b/c if you haven't already guessed the movie is not for all tastes. And that's ok.
All this from an Elvis Costello song. Very impressive, Mr. Winterbottom. For something more accessible, check out his brilliant WELCOME TO SARAJEVO with Woody Harrelson. I can't think of a more varied and inventive filmmaker working today. Hopefully you can get a hold of this movie somehow: I came across a promo copy thru dumb luck in a - ha! - church book and video sale. |
|
I Want You movies, videos.