It's not about Helen.
Added 7/29/2005
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.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Rachel Weisz Is Worth the Investment
Added 9/26/2003
This may be an entirely fanboy attitude, but I WANT YOU is by no stretch of the imagination a great film by any measure. It doesn't boast one tremendous storyline you'll not soon forget once the ending is near. It doesn't bluster with great social significance. It doesn't offer a moral statement by which the world can be a better place.Simply put, I WANT YOU is a character piece that revolves entirely around the incredible Rachel Weisz. Modesty aside, she's a beautiful woman, and the sexually explicit scenes played out here are not only tastefully well-done but appear to be closer to "real sex" than "cinema sex." It's the subtle nuances that Weisz brings to her character -- yes, in even the non-sex scenes -- that shows her true talent and gift with the camera. Frankly, I'm amazed that she isn't getting more artistic work, based on the grace she shows in I WANT YOU.
10 out of 11 people found this helpful.
|
Weisz is nice.
Added 3/31/2003
I bought this obviously looking deeper into the filmography of The Mummy's Rachel Wiesz and was a little shocked when I found this one. First of all, I am not sure how this one got an R rating with all the male and female genitalia floating around (including 2 particularly explicit scenes). I've seen Unrated and NC-17 films with less nudity and sex than this one. I think the ratings board were sleeping when this passed through with an R.It's a decent film to watch, but I didn't like the very darkly lit shots that were prevelant in this film. The young mute boy does a very good job and his relationship with Wiesz keeps the film interesting. Wiesz's character is quite unpredictable, where she refuses to have sex with her boyfriend of 6-months, but quickly sleeps with her ex after not seeing him for 9 years. I felt at times that she was a little too much like the mute boy, in that she needed to say more or at least we needed to delve more into her character to understand more about her. We didn't get to see more though, and she speaks very little in this film. Overall a decent way to spend 87 minutes, but one viewing is enough. And be aware of the explicit nudity, both male and female.
3 out of 5 people found this helpful.
|
If I was a man I would.......
Added 8/23/2001
Find Rachel Weisz, and ........congradulate her on her A+ performance in I Want You. Not a good movie for younger kids though. It is very sexually oriented. The plot is simple really, but there are a lot of skeletons in the closet in this movie. I think the characters are very easy to get interested. I like how the characters move through only one set though. I give it a four thumbs way way up!
4 out of 6 people found this helpful.
|
WOW. Rachel Has Done It Again
Added 8/16/2001
I was going to buy this movie straight off of amazon. But I wanted to rent it first. When I saw it was on the Sundance film channel, I got so excited. Rachel did an exellent job as Helen. I thought she put a lot of depth into the character, but there were a few sceens where I thought the movie was a bit much, but I like how the characters were all intertwined. Helen's character was kind of confusing at times though. Because one minute she is giving his flowers back and the next she is ripping her tights off for him. But it was really well thought out. A++
4 out of 5 people found this helpful.
|
