In the Cut
It neither works as a trashy serial killer or as seamy character piece, but the off kilter visual style which features a lot of out of focus close-ups and intriguing uses of dark brown and gold overshadows the lack of logic and coherency in the plot, especially because the final twist, while wrapping things up, does not explain anything, providing no reason or motive for the killings, and seems rather perfunctory.
Kevin Bacon’s character is such an obvious red herring that he is little more than a distraction, but Meg Ryan’s is amusingly strong willed and foolish, and dealt with by Campion as a woman aware of her stupid choices, but would probably find her life uneventful if she didn’t make them. Mark Ruffalo, as the cop investigating the case which Ryan may or may not be witness to, is outacted by his mustache, which is the best acting by any sort of hair since Kyle Machlachlan in Showgirls.
One thing I didn’t get regarding the press. Much was made about this being Meg Ryan’s first nude scene and how this was a borderline porno movie. Well I remember Ryan got naked in The Doors, and according to my Bare Facts book, she was also naked in Flesh and Bone.
