The devil wears a grey skirt and her name is Kimberly Joyce. Even Rachael Wood (Thirteen), Ron Livingston (Office Space), two-time Academy Award Nominee James Woods (Best Actor, Salvador 1987; Best Supporting Actor, Ghosts Of Mississippi, 1997) and Selma Blair (In Good Company) star in this twisted teen comedy about a manipulative, young aspiring actress who will stop at nothing to achieve fame. Wood plays Kimberly Joyce, a student at an exclusive Beverly Hills high school, who weaves an intricate web of deceit and revenge that entangles her entire community. After persuading her friends into accusing their befuddled teacher of sexual harassment and charming the media into spinning the story in her favor, she brings everyone to their knees with a last-minute, shocking revelation. Deviant as it is defiant, this critically acclaimed, dark comedy crosses all lines as it comments bluntly on contemporary American life and all its explosive topics - race, sex, gender identity, intolerance, materialism, and the superficial arena of celebrity. It will seduce you, shock you and leave you smiling - albeit sadistically!
2.
Unsettling but frequently funny, Pretty Persuasion stars Evan Rachel Wood as a 15-year-old with a talent for manipulation that could easily rival the most corrupt characters in Dangerous Liaisons. Wood plays Kimberly, an aspiring actress and student at an exclusive high school. Her best friend, Brittany (Elisabeth Harnois), has made off with Kimberly's boyfriend and been awarded the coveted lead role of Anne Frank in a school production--a part that was originally offered to Kimberly, but then withdrawn by authorities. Meanwhile, life at home is no picnic: Kimberly's father (James Woods) is a babbling anti-Semite, and her estranged mom calls infrequently. There's a lot of time for the teen to conjure elaborate revenge schemes, one of which catches a teacher (Ron Livingston) and naive Muslim girl (Adi Schnall) in a sexual harrassment trial. The sharp cast (including an excellent Jane Krakowski as a corrupt, televison news reporter) and director Marcos Siega's arch tone are the best things about the film, which veers successfully between loopy comedy and dark, psychological drama. Skander Halim's literate script finds intelligent purpose even in the most banal situations. --Tom Keogh
3.
Music-video director Marcos Siega infuses this entertainingly dark social satire with stylish camerawork and clever editing. While visually rooted in the bubble gum teen comedy aesthetic, PRETTY PERSUASION boldly insists on taking brutal stabs at topics as sensitive as the war in Iraq, religion, and race. With a deceptively sweet appearance and a genius IQ, 15-year-old aspiring actress Kimberly Joyce (Evan Rachel Wood) has the world in the palm of her perfectly manicured hand. When she takes new Arab student Randa (Adi Schnall) under her shallow wings, it is with the ulterior motives she has learned from her crazy, porn-watching, coke-snorting racist father (James Woods), his blank trophy wife (Jaime King), and perverted teachers like Mr. Anderson (Ron Livingston). Desperately wanting the publicity, Kimberly convinces her sidekicks Randa and Brittany (Elisabeth Harnois) to make false allegations of sexual abuse against Mr. Anderson. While Anderson is may not be a good teacher or role model, he is not guilty of actual sexual assault. When Anderson buys his wife (Selma Blair) a skirt identical to the uniform worn by his students, his inappropriate feelings are revealed. The film suggests that society can expect no less than Kimberly's self-described precociousness from a generation that values good looks, fame, and money over honesty, goodness, and moral integrity. Wood shines as Kimberly, a villain who is truly the victim of the world around her. While Kimberly is hellbent on getting what she wants, it is hard to see how someone who has so internalized society's warped ideology can even have a sense of self.
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