11 January 2006

She Can Hardly Wait

Pick of the Day: Strange Days - dir. Kathryn Bigelow - 1995 - USA

Before she was with the Licks, Juliette Lewis tossed her writhing body onstage in Bigelow's 1995 apocalyptic thriller, starring Ralph Fiennes as a loser who, while lusting over his ex Faith (Lewis), uncovers a police conspiracy at the coming of the end of the world. Really, this film isn't anything special... Ten years later, it's futuristic depiction of 1999 already seems dated (it was written by James Cameron). What's special is Lewis, rolling on stage covering "Rid of Me" with an intensity and sexuality that nearly matches her muse, PJ Harvey. Her lusty presence gives Strange Days' near two-and-half-hour running length a needed jolt. And even if she is a Scientologist and starred in abhorent The Other Sister, Juliette, we still love you.

2 comments:

reassurance said...

I don't think her singing career is actually about singing as much as it is about performance (big surprise, she's an actress). I think the appeal of seeing her onstage is to watch her do her best Iggy Pop impersonation while sweating all over the crowd. While Juliette and the Licks may be no Iggy and the Stooges, her PJ Harvey covers from 'Strange Days' are quite impressive.

Anonymous said...

I love Juliette Lewis.