Rating: 
Summary: Strange Days - Don't believe the negative reviews.
Review: Strange Days is one of those love /hate films. I first saw it in London on the day of release, in the cinema. I sat there stunned, gripped by the immersive visuals, virtual technology and brutal storyline set against the turn of the millenium.Repeated viewings on dvd have proved this movie to be a thought provoking, rollercoaster ride. Not since Bladerunner has the blend of new technology and 20th century decadence been so well mixed. The Squib technology is fascinating, with so much potential; within the context of the film it is pornography that drives the market (parallels with the internet?)and provides Fiennes' character with painful revists of his lost love. There are blips in the plot where it thins, the casting is a little skewed, but stick with it and witness the stunning events that unfold. I felt the energy of the millenium countdown at the end of the film actually eclipsed the real night here in London. Recommended; definitely up there with Terminator,Bladerunner, Aliens et al.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Example of Using Film to tell a Story
Review: Strange Days is an excellent example of using film to tell a story given the high-caliber actors (Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Tom Sizemore and Juliette Lewis) and the realistic/futuristic production design (LA 1999). Everyone I've recommended this movie to has enjoyed it! The story of a lovesick ex-cop, turned virtual-reality junkie and civil rights advocate is a delightful "what if" scenario. Also, I'm not surprised that James Cameron's production company is involved, I'd have to say that he is the "King of the "What If" scenario!" (For instance, "What if" In order to change the future, a robot is sent back in time to kill a specific person.(The Terminator)) It is unfortunate that this movie wasn't promoted more and I feel lucky that I came upon this movie accidently on HBO. Although I am a fan of thrillers and sci-fi, a good story (giving the viewer a range of feelings and emotions) regardless of the genre is what truly sells to a wide audience. I believe that Strange Days is a good story told extremely well by the director, Kate Bigelow, using film.
Rating: 
Summary: Can't watch this more than once..
Review: Amazon has had this DVD listed as a featured recommendation for me for the past couple of weeks.. but Strange Days is one of my least favorite films so I feel compelled to review it and say why. I saw this film in the theatre and was immediately turned off as the setting was a completely unrecognizable LA of the future -- set just a little over four years away. Um, the world doesn't change that quickly. I tried to ignore that and I admit the story got a bit more interesting.. but then I was completely put off by not one but TWO scenes depicting sexual assault. I'm no prude but these scenes were repulsive. So just a warning before you buy or buy this as a gift: if the MPAA had any sense whatsoever this film would be rated NC-17. One more criticism: the camera cuts so much during the finale that the scene is barely watchable. For all these reasons, I just don't understand why anyone would put themselves through Strange Days more than once.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Days
Review: One of the sci-fi masterpieces of the nineties, "Strange Days" is a movie that has a bit of everything and ends up being a terrific cinematic experience. Set in a near future, the story deals with classic themes like virtual reality, thought control or the share of memory, providing and exciting and engaging cyberpunk adventure. Director Kathryn Bigelow creates a futuristic LA that manages to be both sophisticated and believable, avoiding the over-the-top, utopic and not very realistic depictions of future societies presented in other sci-fi films. Although "Strange Days" is basically a thriller, it is way above many run-of-the-mill movies of its genre, as it suceeds at combining its key elements perfectly. The direction is dynamic, unique and fast-paced, adding style and energy with an excellent sense of rythm, flow and tension. The acting is also a plus, since Ralph Fiennes is unforgettable as the flawed anti-hero Lenny and Angela Basset shines as his sister-in-arms Mace. This duo makes for an odd, yet original and memorable couple, delivering some enticing and moving scenes. It`s also interesting seeing the female character protecting the male for a change, making for a clever reverse of the predictable and typical scenario of most action flicks. Juliette Lewis is also convincing as the dark and feral femme fatale, especially when she sings a P.J. Harvey song to perfection (one of the many excellent and remarkable moments of this movie). "Strange Days" is much more than a futuristic thriller, providing a rich cinematic experience that brings issues such as isolation, trust, friendship, love and life in general. Every scene is compelling and intriguing, and the plot is very well developed, culminating in a tense, dynamic and huge finale with a superb climatic ending. Kudos to the soundtrack, by the way, especially the Skunk Anansie live presence during the last scenes that adds a lot of edge, mood and atmosphere to that peculiar chase sequence. Overall, this movie is definitely an underrated classic and a must-have. Forget overrated stuff like the boring and very flawed "Blade Runner", since "Strange Days" is a much more compelling and solid sci-fi masterpiece. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Terrible Movie
Review: This movie is absolutely horrid. There is constant violence including sexual assaults against women. I agree with another viewer that found it odd that a woman would choose to direct this type of film. If you enjoy watching nothing but violence and seeing women hurt, then this film is for you. I wonder what James Cameron was thinking when he wrote this piece of garbage.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Days
Review: One of the sci-fi masterpieces of the nineties, "Strange Days" is a movie that has a bit of everything and ends up being a terrific cinematic experience. Set in a near future, the story deals with classic themes like virtual reality, thought control or the share of memory, providing and exciting and engaging cyberpunk adventure. Director Kathryn Bigelow creates a futuristic LA that manages to be both sophisticated and believable, avoiding the over-the-top, utopic and not very realistic depictions of future societies presented in other sci-fi films. Although "Strange Days" is basically a thriller, it is way above many run-of-the-mill movies of its genre, as it suceeds at combining its key elements perfectly. The direction is dynamic, unique and fast-paced, adding style and energy with an excellent sense of rythm, flow and tension. The acting is also a plus, since Ralph Fiennes is unforgettable as the flawed anti-hero Lenny and Angela Basset shines as his sister-in-arms Mace. This duo makes for an odd, yet original and memorable couple, delivering some enticing and moving scenes. It`s also interesting seeing the female character protecting the male for a change, making for a clever reverse of the predictable and typical scenario of most action flicks. Juliette Lewis is also convincing as the dark and feral femme fatale, especially when she sings a P.J. Harvey song to perfection (one of the many excellent and remarkable moments of this movie). "Strange Days" is much more than a futuristic thriller, providing a rich cinematic experience that brings issues such as isolation, trust, friendship, love and life in general. Every scene is compelling and intriguing, and the plot is very well developed, culminating in a tense, dynamic and huge finale with a superb climatic ending. Kudos to the soundtrack, by the way, especially the Skunk Anansie live presence during the last scenes that adds a lot of edge, mood and atmosphere to that peculiar chase sequence. Overall, this movie is definitely an underrated classic and a must-have. Forget overrated stuff like the boring and very flawed "Blade Runner", since "Strange Days" is a much more compelling and solid sci-fi masterpiece. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies ever made!
Review: It's a great movie about a guy who sells illusions through some kind of a headset to people who want to feel a variety of different feelings. Danger, Happiness etc. The problem is it is not only forbiden but it gets in the hands of the wrong people and then the problems begin! Don't hesitate! Buy this movie!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Good action movie. Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett shine.
Review: I really enjoyed Strange Days. At first I had to get over their depressing view of a present-future New York that is essentiall a police state where people getting shot in crowds hardly makes people pause. I thought Ralph Fiennes was excellant as Lenny(not to mention very pleasing on the eyes and ears- he is aptly named). At first it was hard to care about his character, but as the movie progressed I began to empathize with him. Angela Bassett was also wonderful as Mace, his friend who becomes his love interest. It was nice to have a female lead in an action film that did not need a knight in shining armor, but actually rescues the hero. To be honest, I was more into the romance between Mace and Lenny. Their history together could have been better developed, like how Mace went from grieving single mother who waits tables to a limo driver that kicks ass on the side and how Lenny got kicked off the LAPD and became a wire head. Despite their sketchy past together, the romance comes to a satisfying end complete with a bloodied but still oh so fine hero laying a nice long smooch on his woman. The action was also a bit more unpredicatable than most action films which was nice.
Rating:
Summary: Bad to the point of being unwatchable
Review: I saw this originally in the theater in 1995, and even then I thought they did a very poor job of creating a convincing "futuristic" environment, although the millennium was only 4.5 years away at that time. Except for the gimmicky memory-recording-cd- headgear (stolen from a very similar but more thoughtful movie in the 80s called "Brainstorm", Natalie Wood's last film), there is nothing science-fictionish about this movie AT ALL...neither does it have anything interesting to say about life at the turn of the new century. Only 8 years old now and STRANGE DAYS plays as very dated and very creaky looking AND sounding. No mention of the internet although it was very much there in 1995. Cars, music and (very bad looking and unflattering) costumes scream 1995, and make no comment or interpretation about the near future. Ralph Fiennes -- an otherwise fine actor -- is horribly miscast. Does no one even question why a former LA cop would have a British accent? He is totally unconvincing. Juliette Lewis, also capable of good performances although her overall screen career is terrible -- so horribly annoying you just want to slap her -- there is nothing here to suggest why Lenny Nero would be so obsessed with her except that she has a hot body and looks about 17. Ms. Lewis should have sued Kathryn Bigelow or James Cameron for presenting her in such a wretching unflattering way -- the film just makes her look awful with a bright red fright wig and unbecoming clothing. A lot of really fine actors, including Michael Wincott, Tom Sizemore, Vincent D'Onofrio, etc. are utterly and completely wasted in this dreck. Their characters are not developed in the slightest and they basically play stock stereotypes, i.e., the venal rock and roll manager, the crooked cop, etc. Only gorgeous Angela Bassett comes out of this spelling like a rose -- she looks beautiful and plays a really tough, physical character. It's interesting to see the idea of a passive, weak male character being protected by a strong physical female protagonist, but it isn't explored in any interesting way here. You do get to see her kick some serious butt but that's all. The romance between Mace and Lenny feels tacked on, and has no erotic charge at all -- they only kiss briefly at the very end. Horrible production values! The film is dark and not in some clever "noir" way but as if the director hoped she could hide the boring sets and ugly costumes this way. No interesting special effects or CGI. Violence is constant and gratuitous and adds nothing to the storyline but cheap shocks and a feeling (odd in a film directed by a WOMAN) of misogynism. The music -- a few bits of legit rock music (not much) and to pay for it, you have to listen to Juliette Lewis SING...aaarrrggghh. Worst of all is the script, totally lame, violent, unoriginal. My first thoughts on seeing it in the theater was that there was almost nothing of science fiction here, just a cheap exploitative serial killer type of film with a gimmick (and not an original one, either), and that it has nothing to say about the millennium, which it SHOULD HAVE, being that it was filmed at the end of the 20th century. It's even more lame today considering all we have seen happen (the internet, 9-11, etc.). Don't even bother to rent this one, let alone buy it. I am sure all the actors who particpated in this mess are sorry they did so.
Rating:
Summary: Bigelow's solid A; incomparable Ralph Fiennes
Review: "Strange Days" stars the incomparable Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Lewis as former lovers in a futuristic, bent-for-hell society. Fiennes plays Lenny, whose career is selling vicarious, virtual reality experiences to people. They experience these by putting on headsets with tapes that Lenny has culled from his underworld contacts. Things turn even uglier when a serial killer gets turned on by making his own tapes of his murders, while they are being committed, and sends them to Lenny. Lenny tries to rescue Lewis from the even darker underworld people she now lives with but it is an uphill battle. This is one of my favorite Ralph Fiennes performances plus Bigelow at the top of her game.
| 
