Pretty Persuasion (2005)

Pretty Persuasion is an intrigue that will leave you breathless with shock. It is devious, manipulative, and well thought out.Each character has enough depth to be solidly constructed and give us meaningful dialogs. Sometimes, as we follow the main girl, it feels like a monologue, a dry one, but all of it points to a genius after what she wants.The tone is just, some elements are a bit caricatural, but never over the top, just enough to resonate with the audience, and make a point. The whole setup is simple, like the editing, the camera shots, and the story, but it all to underline the razor precision of the mind behind it all. It makes the dramatic reveal even stronger.Do not underestimate this film, it packs a moral punch.

The writing is excellent. So much of the dialog is loaded with meaning and intensely funny dark humor. The satirical commentary on such a wide range of issues from race sex ambition is right on the mark. The screenplay is well crafted in the way the plot lines come together and how things are revealed.Evan Rachel Woods is perfect and delivers her lines so perfectly with just the right expressions. She is a brilliant actress. Probably one of the finest of her generation. No one of the other young actresses around could have pulled this one off. Ron Livingston is quite a comedian here too. James Woods is a bit over the top. Jaime King is unrecognizable. Jane Krakowski and Selma Blair are great in their minor roles.It's a more adult and darker Mean Girls. The ending left me hoping for a bit of a longer finishing scene.Overall this is a very funny movie about high school for grown ups.

I don't know what compelled me to watch this film but it was a total waste of time.The director failed miserably in conveying whatever message (if any) or half-baked political/social allegory he was trying to. This film is as soulless, vapid and empty as the characters it was trying to portray. At times it is even downright insulting; it actually propounds the ignorance, apathy (and countless stereotypes) that it may have been attempting to critique.Even if this film wasn't attempting to say anything meaningful, it failed to fulfill its basic function as a comedy. Despite the attempts of the writers/director to be witty and ironic, the jokes were so vulgar that I wonder whether Marcos Siega has even heard of the word 'subtlety'.Moreover, all of the characters are ugly and stupid, except for the main character (who apparently has a record-breaking IQ but never says or does anything to affirm this - probably because the writers of this atrocity are total idiots who can't come up with a good line of dialogue to save their lives). Nothing significant or meaningful or even logical ever comes of any of the events that take place. *******************spoilers****************** I also thought that Randa's suicide was also irresponsible and, once again, totally illogical. It advances some incredibly ignorant stereotypes. I spent the whole duration of Pretty Persuasion waiting for something redeeming or clever to happen but it never did. The plot is extremely contrived and the ending is comparable to a join-the-dots activity for a two year old. Every element of this poorly written and heavy handedly plotted film converges to form what may be the biggest anti-climax in film history. The final 'twist' hinged on a stupid and paltry cliché.In conclusion, I felt violated by how stupid this film is. I can't understand why something like this was ever made.

I chose to watch this movie because it was available, looked like a pop corn college flick. There is something about this movie which keeps you on it and for someone who gets bored very easily, this is quite an achievement. Part of the attraction I guess has to do with the innuendos, hot girls and that the story revolves around an alleged sex crime. But this is quite common and this is not why I gave the movie a 7. The reason I gave it a 7 is because of the lucid way in which the central character is developed and the director's portrayal of characters and situations which are quite realistic while at the same time not taking the "college" flick feel away from the movie. Not a must see. Maybe a maybe see