Strip Search (2004)

Redundant and unnecessary.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

When I started watching this movie, I became so caught up in it and the dialog that I forgot that its title was 'strip search'. Then the second part of the movie focuses on it.The actors playing the victims do a brilliant job here and create great sympathy for themselves from the audience. Furthermore they act pragmatically. They ask for their rights to be read, to have counsel with a lawyer, etc. For example, at one point in the film they have a strip search done on them by a person of the opposite sex. They point out that's not how it's supposed to work and the interrogators just say that there are exceptions. I know there is no particular torture here but it is absolutely terrifying to know that what happened to these characters, an absolutely humiliating and petrifying thing, can happen to any one of us at any time regardless of where we live. This film makes us think about exactly how much power governments have, about what's worse- terrorism or the way the govt. fears it so much that it harasses innocent people on an mere suspicions, about whether we really do have freedom of speech. The actors, director and scriptwriter have done a brilliant job here. The realism and nudity gives it a raw feeling. The repeated dialog is an interesting aspect that adds an extra dimension to the parallelism but does not bore the audience. At first I thought the interrogators lines were the same because they both work of the same script within the movie's universe itself but I went on to realize that it metaphorically hints at how similar interrogation methods are worldwide.This was a movie worth watching, it's not fun and it might get you riled up but that's point. It shows an issue that needs attention. In fact it was so good it made me write this review, my first ever review, just so I could tell someone how thought provoking it was. Mature teenagers should not be stopped from watching this just because it contains nudity. The youth are our future. If they don't fight against these injustices who will?

This movie was exceptional. I do believe that it was a fair film. It did point out , constitutional violations from past times in our history. This movie was not out to attack GWB. The parallel story was right on the money. Unlike some other people. I did have sympathy for both characters. The illustration basically brought out the naivety of the average American , thinking these things can not happen in our homeland. Where as the stories were parallel to a tee on purpose. It brought out the point that vogue leadership is real and perhaps a perception at the same time. I liked that they pointed out other people looking at us from thousands of miles away , do not see us as a democracy. Very intelligent film . One very important fact though , is that in our nation there is the freedom to air this film where as in China there is not.

Absolutely stunning performance by Maggie gyllenhaal. To be on scren naked for so long must have taken hours to shoot I assume they would be shot on closed set unles she is absolutely comfortable in her own body.The facial expression as she was having both cavities searched were amazing and there must have been a degree of reality in the performance Fantastic performance in a mediocre film with a powerful message.I understand that the Film is available in Europe on DVD with Directors cuts and commentary by Diresct and by Miss Gyllenhaal.Obviously it was very difficult to duplicate all scene relating to both students but I thought that her ordeal was exaggerated in relation to the male studen

The format, writing and direction of this docudrama could be improved, but the premise is too important to ignore. Two people, in opposite parts of the world, seem cavalier about their rights and freedoms, until they are violated, then dumbfounded about what authorities do to them. We'd all like to feel safe in our home, community and Country. However, to what extent would we give up our rights and freedoms, to be more secure and safe? And... If our rights and freedoms are lost, how safe and secure would we be? You may find this film boring. It lacks gratuitous violence, obscenity and other things, one might proclaim, makes for entertainment, but the valuable message it portrays, makes it a, "Must See!". If this show peeks your interest, try a, "Star Trek", (The Next Generation), Episode called, "Drumhead", in which mankind has ventured hundreds of years, into the future, into space and evolution, yet still succumbs to fear, created by the potential for terrorism...