Wild Side (1996)

That was an excellent one.

Pretty Good

best movie i've ever seen.

Absolutely brilliant

I met Donald Cammell shortly after he finished production on "Wild Side" We were at director Martin Donovan's house in Los Angeles. It was one of those eclectic memorable evenings in front of the fire in that fabulous Italian villa of Whitley Heights. Johnny Whitworth and Liv Tyler were there, so was Renee Zellwegger with her director Dan Ireland, Valeria Golino and Benicio del Toro, Shirley Knight and even Fabrizio Mioni with Faith Domergue, yes the legendary Faith Domergue, Howard Hughes's protègè. Donald Cammell dominated great part of the evening, exhausted but bursting with energy. So excited about his new film, about Joan Chen, Steven Bauer and Christopher Walken's performance. Editing with his long time collaborator, Frank Mazzola. It was a dangerous movie, it walked a very thin line, but he trusted his abilities as an tightrope walker. Years of experience. A few weeks later I was invited to see his cut of the film. I must admit, It took me by surprise. The darkness of the film didn't seem to match the lovely, kind, gentle Donald. The film was also brutally funny. A very individual, frightening, fascinating vision of the world. Shortly after I found out the film had been taken away from him and re edited. I saw Donald Cammell a couple of times after that, he smiled, he was charming and kind as usual, but in his eyes you could see his sadness. The next time I went back to Martin Donovan's house was to attend Donald Cammell's memorial service. He had killed himself, leaving a tangible, painful, tragic void. That day was also memorable, to be part again, with China, Donald's wife, of an eclectic group, from Drew Hammond and Bud Cort to Ken Russell and Cassian Elwes, to pay tribute to Donald Cammell the man, the artist, the friend. The other version of "Wild Side" hit theater for a second and disappeared without a trace. Frank Mazzola, the original editor, has restored it since, with love and for love of an unforgettable friend.

*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*I bought the unrated version of this movie. The video box cover has Christopher Walken rubbing his chin while staring at Anne Heche kissing Joan Chen's neck. The movie held promise. Based on this cover, I felt it was reasonable to expect Anne Heche to explore her love for Joan Chen. I was not disappointed.So Anne is a banker by day, hooker by night. It's never the other way around. You know, hooker by day, banker by night. That would be interesting. Anyway, Anne immerses herself in the world of money laundering with Walken and Chen. Anne falls in love with Chen in the process. This leads to the highlight of the movie. During a long lunch and a rendezvous in the bathroom, we see Anne fall slowly in love with the beautiful Joan Chen. This leads to their slow and VERY erotic sex scene. This pleased me. Some women look sexy with short hair and Anne Heche is one of them. She shows us her breasts on several occasions as well which is also a good thing. She is a strong actress as is Joan Chen so that made their falling in love scene that much sweeter. If I had to guess the movie was about anything, I would say it's about finding love where you find it. Anne falls in love with Joan, they have hot sex, and the viewer rejoices.

A tense, sexy thriller that draws you in from it's opening scene. Walken gives his normal manic performance. However, it's Heche who dominates the screen. She gets the balance just right between victim and perpetrator.Ultimately Cammell is a distinctive talent in cinema, and his suicide was a loss.

My comments about Wild Side are mainly for the version of the film that was released in late 2000. I always enjoy a movie that has something odd and strangely compelling about it and Wild Side takes first prize. I am a devoted Christopher Walken fan and I have to say that I love his portrayal of Bruno Buckingham. Oh, if men were only as kinky and strange and wonderful-looking as him. Anyway, the main theme that runs through Wild Side is Sex is Power and without giving anything away, this subject is explored in a very imaginative way. The film has the outer trappings of a soft porno flick complete with lesbian scenes and BDSM. Personally, I am not put off by this sort of thing, however, the mood is dark and enigmatic. This movie is not simply for cheap thrills. For your information, the director/writer Donald Cammell committed suicide in 1996. He wasn't happy with the way Nu-Image edited Wild Side 1 and it is felt that this contributed to his depression and eventual death. His friend/colleague Frank Mazzolla has nearly re-edited every scene for Wild Side 2 and added 20 minutes. I suggest Wild Side 1 is viewed first to appreciate the full flavour of Wild Side 2. The difference can really be seen and I prefer what happens to Bruno in the newer version, too!