Miranda

Marc Munden's "Miranda" is a film that shows great visual style. As written for the screen by Rob Young, this movie's fate seems to have been a limited release and then directly to video. Not having seen it before, we watched it on cable recently. While this film offers a lot, most viewers seem to react against it, judging by the comments sent to this forum.

Christina Ricci, as the mysterious Miranda is perfectly intense. Ms. Ricci deserves much better. Her character is not clear enough for most people to care for her. The excellent John Simm, is Frank, the young librarian in love with this flighty woman who decides to stick to her and ultimately make her love him. Kyle MacLachlan, makes an appearance as Nailor, the man behind all the plot, and John Hurt, makes a perfect Christian.

The graphics/animation opening this picture are just great. The first twenty minutes are VERY funny, thanks almost exclusively to Mr. Simms hilarious enthusiasm. Then the film just falls apart. It could have been a good romantic comedy. But instead it thinks it creates suspense, intrigue, danger, etc., which it badly employs. John Hurt does fine but neither he nor Kyle MacLaughlin seem to now what kind of film they are supposed to be in. Hurt is deadpan drama and Maclaughlin is over-the-top zany. I'd accept ridiculous plot devices if the tone of the movie, like the first 20 minutes, remained ridiculous. Especially annoying to me, an attorney who does some real estate, is the suggestion you could con sophisticated people into accepting title to property you didn't own, a virtual impossibility no matter how gullible the Client. But I had to give it a "5" as Mr. Simms introduction is so charming.

This film is about a con woman whose life is complicated by the appearance of an obsessive librarian.

I had great expectations when the initial animation was showing. Could it be a film like "Lola Rennt"? Well, no. The plot could have been promising, but the way it is told makes the film not too gripping. It gets boring at times, because of the slow pace. Fortunately, the film is made up for by the tension between Christina Ricci and John Simm. John Simm's portrayal of an innocent man who becomes obsessive about Christina Ricci is remarkable. Christina Ricci is also great in her portrayals of a cold and passionless con woman, a manipulative woman and vulnerable victim at the end. In short, it is a little slow but still watchable.

A lonely librarian Frank(John Simm) who loves dreaming his life away suddenly meets the beautiful and mysterious Miranda(Christina Ricci) and immediately falls in love with her. As the two of them become closer, Frank starts finding out that Miranda isn't who he thought she was and that she leads a dangerous life with many different identities. I tried to like this movie because Christina Ricci is my favorite actress in the whole world but I just couldn't get into it. I really liked the first half hour or so of this movie but then the story started becoming boring and somewhat complicated. It seemed that this movie couldn't decide if it wanted to be a thriller, a romantic drama or a comedy. Everything was just kind of mixed together. I would give Miranda 6/10.

Cristina Ricci not only warms the cold still nights where most of this movie's action takes place, she captivates our souls. Her eyes are mirrors of our inner desires. This film uses this to perfection. John Simm and John Hurt are well cast supporting players, owning their roles. Kyle McLachlan returns to his David Lynch quirkiness, after the shallow Sex and the City detour.

The camera worker bathes her in dark pools of light, approaching her from odd angles, as if she was a sleeping lover watched , or an object of art. Yet she breathes, and lives, and smokes, and smiles radiantly. Few actresses are both sun and moon.

When the nights are not still, rain motifs evoke the sad grasp of the dreariness of existence lived without heartfelt joy, whether the dangerous life of the con artist, or the drab librarian. Both are trapped. Only free will gives us freedom. But choice means pain and sacrifice.

The romance and thriller aspects of the plot clank against each other, and there may be one to many coincidence. None of this seriously harms the overall quality of the film.