Pretty When You Cry

(2001) Seduced: Pretty When You Cry THRILLER

Straight to rental, starring Jamie Kennedy as Albert Straka, becoming infatuated with club owner Frank Carreni's (Michael Cavalieri who's also credited as Associate producer) wife, Sara Carreni (Carlton Elizabeth). Much of the movie shows him explaining his story to homicide detective, Lukas Black (Sam Elliot). Inspired by other movies such as "The Last Seduction" to "Basic Instinct" and many other movies about females instructing people what to do blah, blah, blah. 1 star for the twist even though the overall movie is uninteresting and inconsistent.

I was enthralled by the female actress who played the lead, I agree she looked like she had a few miles on her, but she did also have a smoldering beauty that begs one to study that face and wonder what had gone so awry in her life. I thought the film did an adequate job of depicting the painful events that forged that face. I liked the film enough to watch it again, as I was channel surfing when I stumbled across it, and didn't give it the attention it deserved. When I finished watching the film I looked forward to the credits as I wondered who the actress was. I wonder if she is a sibling of Shannon Elizabeth? If so, it would be interesting to meet their parents. Both are striking women, and I disagree with the previous reviewer's "crack whore" characterization. Too many Kirsten Dunst pudding faced blonds polluting the big screen already, an edgy brunette was welcome to this viewer!

Yes usually you'd call it Murder Mystery. In this case this is a mystery - well not so much the fact it got made, but the fact that you have Sam Elliott in it. You know a movie hasn't aged well when the website just goes away. On the plus side I guess: someone can get the rights for the title of the movie now. Though I wouldn't know why (except maybe to be "romantic" with your significant other? I'm just spitballing and guessing here).

All other things aside and taking into account that the director is a great cinematographer, he either took a bad deal or the script sounded way better than the end result we get. Now you can see what the intention was. Thriller with some social criticism and all that. Unfortunately having someone like Jamie Kennedy and the female newcomer in the lead role did not serve the movie or the plot a lot - quite the opposite. So while there may or may not be surprises ahead (and don't bother trying to make sense of certain things that just don't make sense) - overall this is forgettable

It must have been fairly good since I didn't seem to want to stop watching it, but it's nothing to write home about either. I can say I was surprised by some of the twists and I was never exactly sure of what was going on, but then again, I'm not sure if that was because of the intelligence of the script or because of its abnormality. Still, it deserves a 6 out of 10 for cinematography and a great sound track.

-m0

"Pretty When You Cry" is a klunker from beginning to end. Shot as a dark and brooding drama, this B-flick tells it's story of sex, drugs, and murder through a series of annoying flashbacks. Character development is nonexistent, the story weak and uninteresting, and the acting very ordinary. Cinematography is okay but can't save this very mediocre flick which is like a bowl of wax fruit: Looks good but you wouldn't want to eat it. A waste of time.