| MIRANDA |
 2002 –
UK / GermanyDirector: Marc Munden - Reviewed by Eric
Review: Like Punch-Drunk Love with a few thriller elements thrown in for good measure, Miranda is an intriguing but disappointing venture into black comedy. I do, however, have a soft spot for Christina Ricci, and she shines in this offbeat love story. Ricci plays Miranda, a mysterious young woman who walks into a library one day on a con and instantly steals the heart of a quirky young librarian named Frank (John Simms). They quickly become lovers, but she never tells him the truth about her line of work, or, for that matter, anything about herself. When he wakes up one morning to find her gone, he is determined to track her down and declare his love. Unfortunately for Frank, Miranda inhabits a complicated world of wealth, power, con men, and false identities, and the matter of finding Miranda is much more complicated than simply finding her, if you know what I mean. The rest of the film is a disjointed series of scenes that are individually amusing, but do little to further a plot and thus add up to a frustrating moviegoing experience. Almost every scene plays as if its last few minutes had been chopped off the reel. Sweet, romantic Frank pursues Miranda doggedly, overcoming such obstacles as... I forget. Of course they end up together in the end, but what prevented them from ending up together an hour earlier? I think about questions like these and I can't come up with any answers. Despite these complaints, Miranda definitely has its pleasures, not the least of which is its fun and inventive shot composition and cinematography that, come to think of it, is the only thing consistent about the film. Also interesting is Frank and Miranda's offbeat romance, which is entertaining precisely because it is so incomprehensible. As with the relationship between Barry and Lena in Punch-Drunk Love, the audience is not meant to be "in" on their attraction to each other; we see their romance and smile because they are oddballs who have found that very special other oddball whose weirdness perfectly compliments their own. It's funny to us, but it's magical to them. I also liked the mixed-bag of supporting characters. Kyle MacLachlan has a small but HILARIOUS (yes, it's so funny it requires the caps lock) role as Miranda's masochistic latest client. Julian Rhind-Tutt is equally funny as Frank's kung fu-savvy best friend. Especially in these characters' scenes, it's clear that there is a certain X-factor at work in Miranda, but its intrigue only makes us wish harder that the screenwriter had taken some sort of class before turning in his final draft. Miranda is packing some sensational cinematography and a memorable cast of characters, but also a screenplay that doesn't know what to do with either. |
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Synopsis: Sex, love, wealth and intrigue form the backdrop for this twisted story of a quiet bookseller who finds himself the object of a curious plot involving wealth and power when a seductive, mysterious woman, who pays a visit to his bookstore, becomes the object of his affection. His romantic interest pulls him into a labyrinthine web of false identities, failed plots and foiled dreams, while she remains as elusive as she is enchanting.
