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BAISE MOI
Unrated
Distribution: Remstar
1:33 Full Screen
2.0 Dolby Digital
French with English Subs
Running Time: 77 minutes
starring Raffaela Anderson & Karen Bach
Screenplay & Dialogue by Virginie Despentes & Coralie Trinh Thi
Directed by Virginie Despentes & Coralie Trinh ThiFirst off, let me say that when I first hear about Baise Moi, I was both interested and skeptical. I was interested because who wouldn't love what other reviewers are calling "A Hardcore Version Of Thelma & Louise"?
I was skeptical because with the exception of Man Bites Dog, I have never seen a French film that I've enjoyed. Call me lowbrow, but for the most part, every French film I've ever seen has been incredibly boring. Well, you can say alot of things about Baise Moi, but like it or hate it the film is never boring.
The story, directed by Virginie Despentes & Coralie Trinh Thi and based on a novel by Despentes, revolves around two women, Manu and Nadine. Manu is a recently raped junkie and Nadine is a prostitute. Once the two girls meet under a near hostage situation, they form a friendship and embark on a all male killing spree, leaving a trail of blood, cum and destruction in their wake.
Now here is the problem I'm having. There is a huge controversy surrounding this film on whether Baise Moi is art or pornography. After repeated viewings, I'm going to have to say that it's neither. I don't feel that it's art because there is nothing artistic about it. One of the few bad things I can actually say about the film is that it looks as if this movie is the first time that director of photography Benoit Chamaillard had ever used a digital video camera. All of the scenes are framed well, but only about half of them are lit to fit the format, causing alot of the scenes to be pixelated and grainy. Maybe this was done to look arty, but in my opinion, it just makes it look cheap.
On the other hand, I don't consider this porno either. Maybe I'm a porn novice(I do only have about 25 porn DVD's in my collection, my favorite being Alice In Bondageland), but I always felt that porn had to be sexy. While both of the female leads are quite attractive (especially Karen Bach. Yowza!!!) there is not a single sex scene in this movie that could be considered hot. This is not a bad thing as this is not a film that was made to beat off too, that is unless you're into a very realistic rape scene and if that's you're bag I hope these girls find you before I do, ya piece of shit..
Dare I say it, this film is more important than that. What it comes down to is that all of the negative hype this movie has gotten over the last year is coming from what I can only assume are very uptight people who should have been reviewing Kate & Leopold in the first place. Yes, there is penetration in this film, but it is important to the story. Yes, there is a very harsh rape scene in the film, but it's not due to the penetration, it's from a very realistic and haunting performance. Yes, there is gore in this film, but no more so than the latest Bruckheimer/Bay production, though I think the guy getting a gun jammed up his ass and the trigger pulled was edited out of the version of that lame Pearl Harbor movie that I had to sit though. Yes, the two main actresses main sorce of income is from porn movies, but both do a great job and give extremely believable performances. What everyone is missing in all of these taboos is a very well made, intelligent film about women, power and rage.
Remstar has done a really great job with this DVD. The colors are very crisp and the extras are fun, including a poster gallery, a very amusing press response page, photo gallery and trailer. The only complaint I had with the DVD was I would have really liked to have seen the film released widescreen, which unfortunately only the opening sequence is. Luckily the only scene in the film that this becomes a bother is during a dining room scene where Manu and Nadine are sleeping over at an admirer's house ducking from the law. That considered, I still think this is a really triumph for Remstar and look forward to their future releases. That said, here are a few things I learned from watching Baise Moi...
1. I would watch more French films if they were more like Baise Moi
2. The pick up line "Hey, you wanna feel my balls slamming you in the ass?" does not work. Trust me, I tried.
3. I may have never met John Carpenter, but I don't think that when he recorded the music for Escape From New York he pictured an old hag giving some guy a blow job in the middle of a sex club. It can only be found in this movie.
4. See Baise Moi at any cost. It's well worth the hype.
By the way, it's really hard to be my old obnoxious self when I'm reviewing a movie that I like. How about giving my some movies that I hate next time.
Reviewed by: James L. Edwards