“We do not know how to be men. Our fathers died in Vietnam! the main character of Fight Club tells himself with the help of a split personality. And begins to solve this issue, gaining masculinity in the company of men. The methods are ambiguous, but the decision is essentially correct. If you want to be masculine, talk to men. You don't have to hit the face. You can play chess like the hero of the movie "Revolver".
What if we go the other way? How can a man raised by a woman be equal to a courageous woman? Well, somehow cut a woman, at least put a burqa on her. Or something. This is the way Jennifer Lynch introduced us. The trouble is that this path is doomed. It does not add masculinity to a feminine man. And I, as a viewer, understand this, but I look with hope, suddenly David Lynch's daughter will be able to say something, open up, show something.
Unfortunately, she just gets out at the end of the movie. It doesn't have a decent way to finish. And the film turns out to be useful in the context of the message: Men shouldn't slaughter women! It's a dead end. Develop yourself! But even this message is not clearly spoken. As a result, the movie deservedly receives the Golden Raspberry for the worst director. I would love to see this script by David Lynch himself. The idea to reshoot interesting plots with unsuccessful directing seems to me quite reasonable.
5 out of 10
Overall impression: Quite accidentally caught my eye synopsis of the film, decided to watch it, did not lose!
What movie? The obsession that consumes and burns everything in its path. The most talented surgeon Nick (Julian Sands) is terribly worried because his insanely beloved beauty Elena (Sherilyn Fenn) abandoned him. He lures her to his luxurious mansion, hoping to win her love back, but she escapes and falls directly under the wheels of a car. A surgeon saves her life in a home operating room but cuts off her legs. And then... It's tempting, isn't it?
What is beauty? In truth, this concept is extensive and beauty has always adapted to the time frame, which is to say, today, looking at a person in the face, we are looking for pleasant features. For some, the standard is not nice for others. There is no clear distinction, even sex symbols of different eras can not be universally recognized. But there are definitely people who stand out, this is the heroine of the film.
Elena is an incredible beauty girl: a seductive figure, a pleasant appearance with features of bitchiness, an untamed character. Oh, how hard it is to catch this bird! But Nick is sure his love will conquer Elena. But self-doubt interferes, so Nick obsessed with his love decides to leave the bird in the cage.
Jennifer Lynch is the daughter of director David Lynch. “Helena in the Box” is Jennifer’s first directorial work and, unfortunately, was received by critics very coldly. Including received the anti-award “Golden Raspberry” in the nomination “Worst Director”. Of course, there are flaws in the overplay of actors and sometimes in a vague scenario. It is tangible in the transitions to episodes, there is no confident focus on the goal, the script rolls from one goal to another, but in the finale it becomes clear why this happens. And then the whole plot changes in the understanding of the viewer, the narrative is assembled, and therefore the essence. Confused? So the turn of the tape is unexpected.
The picture is fiercely intertwined with erotic fantasy and reality, hence the distinction - is love and just lust? Definitely the film has an interesting idea and good implementation on the subject of obsession.
Jennifer Lynch is a living proof of the saying “nature rests on the children of geniuses”. The debut of David Lynch’s daughter was shot according to her script, written 5 years before the start of filming, and immediately attacked by critics, rightly noticing the school’s pretentiousness in half with artificiality, elevated to the degree of grotesque. In truth, while watching this cinematic misunderstanding about a rich surgeon who kidnapped his windy ex-lover, and then gradually amputated her limbs after accidentally getting into an accident, there are persistent associations not with David Lynch, but rather with Zalman King ("The Merging of Two Moons", "Wild Orchid"), who seems to have fervently revered the "Misery" of his namesake Stephen, because what is happening in the frame does not at all resemble a nightmare of acrimonious psychopathetics, and acritics for acrimonial laughter. Thriller? Forget it!
Apparently, at the last moment Kim Basinger, who was initially approved for the main female role, intuition gave an alarm, and she refused to participate in the film, however, paying the studio a large penalty, since the contract with her was already signed (even earlier, Madonna refused this role). This was the price of the further career of the actress, who, at that time, avoided falling to the bottom, but she was replaced by Sherilyn Fenn (the charming Audrey Horne from the TV series “Twin Peaks”), who since then has not starred in any hit, although she was considered one of the most beautiful women in the world according to polls of various popular publications. However, Fenn looks sexy here (the scene in the fountain), only on one appearance you can not pull the whole movie, especially if the director seems to intentionally make it look thrashy, stupid, and boring, and even our beauty directly suffers from script idiocy, plot logic holes, and the lack of any directorial streak at the director with such a loud name. It is also surprising why, in addition to the well-deservedly implemented “Golden Raspberry” for directing (which, however, did not prevent Jennifer Lynch from returning to the abandoned craft after 15 years), the competition for this anti-prize from the entire ensemble of bad-playing actors did not get the absolutely unsuitable performance of Julian Sandz, as well as the ridiculous, albeit funny, second plan of the hero-lover in the form of the difficult to recognize Bill Paxton in an erotic costume from the nearest sex store.
Perfect visualization of the full picture of clinical obsession
Basically, the title of the review says everything that this movie is. The main character is obsessed with a beautiful woman who not only does not need him - she does not notice him at all; moreover, the film sketches classic Freudian motifs of this kind of obsession with light strokes. As for me, this movie does not pretend to be anything special - just a man and his madness.
The characters of the film are simply amazing: there are no positive characters among them, even if we take secondary ones (colleagues, acquaintances, lover of the heroine). The character of the main character is played so that his weak character, cowardice and obsessive idiocy begins to vomit. He doesn’t want to feel sorry for himself—his insane obsession is a natural result of his unwillingness to listen to the rational part of his consciousness. And meanwhile, it's a very serious merit of the actor; go through his filmography. His Nick seems to be unreal (he cannot and should not be real!), but there is not a drop of falsehood in the game, and therefore he is remembered, for a long time and for real.
Elena – Sherilyn Fenn wants to talk about this role for a long time. The character is an empty beautiful doll with nothing but idleness and a desire to have fun, but her courage and self-confidence (such are people who believe that the world revolves exclusively for them and only around them) involuntarily begin to admire. Watch the fountain scene carefully: Helena seems to have some wild, natural, blind sexuality, palpable but unconscious, like a magnificent predatory flower. Although, judging by the film, she is very aware of it and enjoys it; but it is played with stunning immediacy and naturalness. Monica Bellucci has something similar, but her sensuality is obviously of a different nature.
Music: For me, the soundtrack is always a separate movie character. And as I admired the accompaniment of the film “In the House” by François Ozon, and here each composition is selected so to the point that it almost spreads bliss through the veins. In one of the reviews I read that Sadeness from the Enigma project is completely inappropriate here (“singing monks in an erotic scene”); if you think so, look at the history of the composition: it is dedicated to the Marquis de Sade and his literary work (Marquis De Sade; feel the play of words in the title) and includes texts in Latin as a contrast to the high and the spiritual worldly.
In conclusion, I note: interiors and fabrics; colors and colors; decor, decoration and clothing – complete and absolute visual harmony in each frame. This film is not for intense reflection and philosophizing, but for the “pleasure” of the senses. A simple idea, dressed in a luxurious frame of images and sounds. Light creepy under the sauce from Tears for Fears, Enigma, Puccini and Mozart
The 90’s is such a peculiar period in the cinema, when with a small technical and other component managed to embody the craziest ideas.
The plot and script of “Helena” in itself could be a good thriller: a young but very well-off surgeon is exhausted from passion for a woman who is completely indifferent to him. And this indifference makes the main character off the hook. Or does he think so?
Sherilyn Fenn is a rare beauty actress, and this film is essentially an ode to her appearance. She does not have to play a role, just appear in the frame to attract the viewer’s eye.
Her partner is giving her everything. Playing a complexed man who was so desperate that he overstepped common sense and caution in wanting to possess Elena would be hard. But Julian Sandz did more than that.
Of course, in terms of the storyline, the film is very lame - too sharp jumps in the scenes, much remains undisclosed. But the basic idea of painful passion is shown perfectly.
In my opinion, this is a perfectly suitable film to the mood of nostalgia for the pictures of the 90s and the opportunity to appreciate the incredible Fenn.
8 out of 10
Apple from the apple tree once again fell far - the directorial debut (and not only him) Jennifer Chambers Lynch clearly demonstrated that to the star father she seems never to jump. The story of a talented surgeon, Nick, who was so obsessed with one woman that he literally created a naturalistic version of Venus de Milo from her, turns out to be a film as talentless as Cherylyn Fenn was beautiful in the prime of her maiden years. Filled to the brim with Freudian motifs, the urban horror tale of unrequited love almost all of its one hundred minutes of screen time beats in the agony of talentless editing and no less incompetent directing, forcing the viewer who got bogged down with it to thank the god of cinema at least for the fact that the advantages of the famous Twin-Pix brunette here are fully demonstrated.
A sensual creature with a passion for alcohol and orgasms completely takes possession of the wet fantasies of the protagonist, who, it seems, practically does not get out of the state of affect. Entrapped in the networks of the Oedipus complex, Nike, against the background of his mother’s dying, urgently needed a new outlet, which he immediately met for his (un)happiness. No less beautiful and domineering bitch than his parent, hot beauty Elena gives him the night with her, and later throws away like some punk. However, this only fuels the desire of the failed sex giant, who, starting with simple voyeurism, subsequently takes himself to inventing “sophisticated” plans, the only purpose of which is to lure the voluptuous egoist to his home.
The dull dives of a blonde with the habits of a nerd / mama's son and his captive are rather quickly tiresome, but they simply cannot offer anything more than a film. The basic concept of action is simple - a successful combination of circumstances allows Nick to amputate his legs, the director's sick imagination - the hands of a seducer, and everything else - only a mixture of schematic symbolism and sarcastic grotesque. Unfortunately, Jennifer Lynch does not know the measure, and therefore “Helena in the box” in a steep peak falls into the pool of fetishism and perversions, out of which it is possible only with the help of the final twist, the stupidity of which did not dream later even Shyamalan. The boiling kettle of wounded self-love Nick gurgles idle and it does not matter at all that Elena eventually becomes more compact in all respects - Fenn is so good that even in the image of a half-carcass she does not lose her attractiveness and aggressive sexuality.
The reasons and motives here read between the lines, but it seems that only the viewer sees them, struggling to find any meaning in what is happening on the screen. The creator of the picture bathes in the rays of conceit and does not notice his own weakness. Both of her characters are each other’s captives, interdependent personalities bound forever. He is his obsessive attraction on the verge of acrotomophilia, she is her own physical helplessness, but the relationship of the characters is the lot of poor directors, because the main thing in the opinion of Lynch’s daughter is outrageous and terrible male hairstyles (and in equal proportions). And if Sherilyn Fenn is divine at any moment (she can just be in the frame, and believe me - that's enough), then the rest of the actors have to play something, and there is no better acting than playing about nothing. This, of course, a joke, but in the context of “Helena in the box” it becomes true – Jennifer puts a young (then) actress on a pedestal and does not care about the images of other lyceums.
The sophistication of the writer-director’s imagination is pleasing and depressing: in the quest to create something equally provocative and sensual, Lynch’s daughter is completely lost in the pretentiousness of her intentions. The pompous mansion as the main scene, the slurred construction of episodes and the low-quality exploitation of external data by Sherilyn Fenn turns Elena in the Box into a tedious and boring spectacle, when watching which one has to sincerely regret that the denouement does not come as quickly as the premature ejaculation of the main character.
It’s not clear where so many negative reviews come from. Jennifer Lynch handled her task on a solid 4. Yes, the plot is not new, here the viewer clearly “reads”. “Misery” King, the innovation is that King has talent, and in the picture the stumbling block is passion, manic love. Nick is so in love with Elena that he can hardly tell the difference between reality and sleep. The viewer feels sorry for Nick, seeing him go crazy with his own passion. The picture is created according to strict templates of cinema, here clearly spelled out "cake with cherry" - the Oedipus complex of Freud.
A clear sexual attraction to the mother in childhood and a clear resentment against her for not needing him. As a result, in Elena, Nick saw two women at once, his beloved and his mother, and gave them both his love in full. Very beautifully, we were presented with the idea of woman and femininity, that even in this position, a woman can rule over a man, recalls Tanizaki Junichiro’s Tattoo. Beautiful associations with Venus de Milo... very vivid and sensual eroticism. And the incomparable beauty of Sherilyn Fenn!
It was very interesting to watch!
Don't cry, my girl. No tears. You can't bring it back. The future is in your hands. You don't have any, though. My magic girl, don't cry, no one will hear you here anyway. You say it's all my fault. But that's not true. I crippled you, my love. But my love for you has also crippled me. Look around, Elena, it's not that bad. The sun is still shining, you are still beautiful, and I still love you. Doesn't my love give you wings instead of severed hands? Why are you crying, my dear? Don't cry, Helena. All right, I'll help you. I'll wipe your tears myself.
A love story. Magical, fantastic, slimmest-pulsating, flickering like a moth wing to the lumen. Like a torn wing of a butterfly, yesterday able to fly in any direction, reflecting everything and reflecting everything. Preserving remnants of her warmth, nerve endings, bleeding hopes. A love story. The magical love story of a young boy named Nikki and his beautiful Helena. Helena is so perfect that one can completely doubt her existence, recognizing her as an ephemeral goddess, a hallucination of the subconscious, an optical deception. But here she is - your ephemeral goddess takes on shades of reality. Swimming in the fountain, in the middle of your reception, embarrassing guests. He's flirting with your friend. Throwing objects at you. He yells "son of a bitch" at you. Gets hit by a car. He's dying in your arms. Or is he not dying?
The love story of a little boy to the most beautiful doll on the shelf, accidentally slipped from her because of a ridiculous accident that stumbled from the pedestal, collapsed with all its perfect puppet body, flying to pieces. A dark history of passion. Passion, mixed with pity for a mutilated being, guilt and a dirty, domineering, selfish sense of complete, absolute possession of a desired object, which has nowhere to go in such a way that it will never leave its “caring master”, self-deprived his “favorite toy” the possibility of choice.
The story of the involuntary love of two unfortunate soulless creatures. An adult boy projecting a quasi-Freudian attraction to his chosen victim. He wants to have a “beloved” at all costs. Ready to overcome any obstacles, even if in order to do so, you have to amputate the parts of the body of the adored Helena that interfere with the realization of desire. The silver-haired prince, cutting off any opportunity for his Lady to leave him - first his legs, and then, when she pulls alabaster hands to his, pulsating vein paths, throat, in the doomed hope of changing something in his favor - also them.
The love story of a never-grown child in the body of an adult man and an indifferent insensitive doll. The most beautiful on the shelf. A cold princess with an absent indifferent look, a sliding emotion from hatred to complete doomed humility.
A love story in which the shape of the body is directly related to the form of manifestation of feelings. Inversely proportional. The story in which the scenery of the matrimonial bed takes the shape of a Procrustean bed, adjusting the “wrong” bride to the ideal parameters. A love story in which there is not a word about love. A story that reminds us that “people are not things,” but reminds us with a shiver in words. Because I just wish it was the opposite. And that perhaps possession is love, and only it.
Knock, knock, knock. Elena knocks from inside the box. Elena's waiting for your attention. Elena's calling you. Knock, knock, knock. The lid won't open. Elena can't knock. She has no arms. Knock, knock, knock. What's that knocking? What did you lock in your drawer? Your heart? Knock, knock, knock.
There is a saying that “nature always rests on the children of geniuses.” With such a saying, you can safely argue. Especially in cinema. For history knows many directors who actually showed themselves, if not better than their famous parents, then not weaker. But alas to the director of this film Jennifer Chambers Lynch Such an exception is clearly not applicable.
Frankly speaking, the main interest in viewing the film was caused solely by the presence of Jennifer Lynch as director and the desire to find out whether the daughter of the genius and cult director David Lynch will not hit the mud with her face. Turns out she hit me like that. Especially considering that after this picture, Jennifer Lynch made films of frankly poor quality and completely lost in the stele of staging episodes for ordinary television series.
Whatever it was, the directorial debut of the young "Jennifer Lynch" personally I consider frankly weak and controversial. The picture itself is set quite art-house and vintage. As if before the production of the picture, Jennifer took all her lessons from the maestro of the erotic genre Zalman King. Hence, it is not surprising that the film literally smells of sweet romance, and one of the scenes of an erotic nature turns out to be staged in the style of soft porn and necessarily under the musical work of the Enigma collective. Thus, bringing to the screen an avid stamp of films of the erotic genre of the time.
When as a manifestation of the genre of thriller on the screen as such, I unfortunately did not wait. In fact, I personally felt that the film was absolutely poor in terms of emotional content. Thus, without creating an impression of either melodramatic aspiration, nor tension and suspense in favor of the thriller genre. Thus, even shocking at first glance the fact of amputation of the limbs of the main character without playing on the screen in absolutely no way. The story itself turned out to be incredibly stupid and snotty. Perhaps the creators set out to tell the story of perfect love, but I got the impression of which is a fool and outright delusion. At the same time, the further the plot develops, the more delusional the scope of the story itself becomes.
Julian Sands is convincingly ridiculous, pathetic and disgusting in favor of his role. Bill Paxton and Curtwood Smith are not bad, but in the film they were deprived of openly episodic roles. When, of course, the whole film is dragged by the charisma and animal sexuality of the star of “The merger of two moons” Sherilyn Fenn. It is not that she gave a strong dramatic role, but this is the rare case when outstanding external data and charisma do their job.
1 out of 10
Elena in the box is frank nonsense, watching which becomes incredibly pathetic and hurtful for wasted precious time. The potential of the project is certainly there, but the implementation of the picture has pumped up absolutely on all fronts and if it were not for Sherilyn Fenn, then there would be desires to inspect the picture.
As I understand it, of all the awards the film grabbed only "Malina". I don't understand how that could happen. I don’t see anything here that can be abused, I don’t see any flaws, and what needs to be remade (except some music,) everything is perfect in its own way, everything is in its place, and it is infinitely beautiful.
From the description it follows that the hero of Julian Sands suffers because of parting with a certain Elena. Who is she? How long were they together? Why did they break up? What is this game of saw?
Are you really that afraid? Women, me, myself? ...
He is a grown man, an excellent doctor, a respected person, always serious, not to say that he is directly impenetrable, but still sometimes he is a bit of a freak. It's one side of life, the public side. But at the same time he is like a child, sometimes insecure, timid and lonely, light and innocent like an angel. This is the other, almost dominant side of life. And all because of the destruction that took place in his childhood and since then has not left him, ghostly walking nearby, occasionally pointing the direction. How many people will understand this man? Perhaps, but not the love he controls... the love of a woman so reminiscent of another, so kind and strange, but unfortunately terribly dissolute, sharing nothing but home with him, mother.
How he follows Elena, how he tries to attract her attention, how he longs for her return, how passionately he desires, almost idolizes her! And she just doesn’t understand what’s going on, doesn’t see him, because he got fed up with her, as was the case with other men, perhaps mostly because of his oddities, maybe with him she was locked in that very “box” and it was not at all nice... was it right at all?! After all, he accidentally fell into this trap that burns his heart every day. After all, she mocks him, drives him to all four sides, until one terrible day she loses her legs, and with them her former life, or by trying to live, giving herself to men so as not to die of loneliness.
When Nick finally "fixed" his beloved, tearing away parts from her like petals of chamomile, it becomes clear to the viewer that nothing of his affairs will come out ... after all, there was no love, there was nothing but euphoria mixed with awkwardness, slowly growing into hatred. But the doctor can no longer be stopped, the doctor can no longer be reasoned, and no one will hear the screams. We see a child who did not have time to realize that he became a man. Meanwhile, people are increasingly interested in what is happening to him ... but it is impossible to hide forever, someone will definitely disturb your peace, take you out of this state, open your eyes to reality.
Julian here is just a sight, and he really looks good long hair. As I looked at him, dozens of questions arose in my mind, but it was not about whom his hero was thinking - this was already clear - but rather what he felt, what desires followed each other and how his heart beats, how good his soul was and how strong his anger was. I just wanted to get into his head and, as a woman, understand him as a man, study him completely from start to finish. But that is the ultimate curse of our existence: an endless start and an impossible finish. We study each other, but we can not understand why we need each other so much and just suffer, commit stupid acts, lure, cut off our legs. And everything in this circle of hell repeats itself.
The music at times was completely out of touch with what was happening on the screen, as has been noticed. Like, here's a little eroticism for you, dear viewer, and suddenly something funny will start and you can't look at the beautiful in that mood from the visualization of the beautiful, you just get lost and then you perceive the bed scenes as advertising condoms, or what else... it's even funny to think about it, you have to turn off the sound. But as for everything else, everything is fine and even scary, these transitions from melodrama to thriller are breathtaking!
Of the other actors, I want to highlight Kirtwood Smith. I really liked how many films I didn’t watch with him, I always like to listen to his voice, in addition to the wonderful game. A special actor.
I don’t even know how I feel about this movie. This is a story about two, to put it mildly, not very pleasant people.
He is a talented, wealthy surgeon, but by nature an absolute rag. He has a girlfriend and is not on the last count at work. Theoretically, you can regret it, but in fact... How can you be such a slug? The clinging to the subdued but rebellious Helena is unnecessarily hypertrophied, but on the other hand, what kind of cruelty must there be to do such a thing? Or is there a love that can destroy a person, if not for the last chance to stay with his idol? What is it in general: all-consuming love or just manifestations of infantilism and selfishness? The film left behind a lot of moral, ethical, philosophical reflections.
She is not burdened with legibility in sexual relations, uninhibited and bitchy beauty. How could she ever find herself in bed with a nobody like Nick? It turns out that Elena is just a girl of easy behavior, seeking sexual satisfaction and material support from men. There is no pity for herself, only irritation with her bitchiness and lack of understanding of what she wants from life. Played well, despite the reviews, I believe that Sherilyn Fenn perfectly conveyed the character of the heroine.
These two heroes, Nick and Elena, are worth each other. Looking at their confrontation, Nick’s blind adoration and Elena’s arrogance, I really thought they could be together.
Erotic scenes are beautiful, but looked out of place. There were too few of them between the main characters and too many with the other characters. I didn’t like Elena’s monologue about a man and a woman. It would be better to just put the background calm, unobtrusive music. Enigma or not, it doesn't matter.
The ending was blurred and left behind a kind of slight disappointment. No, of course, it is logical, but I expected a different turn of events.
I am not going to go into the discussion of whether I expected more from Lynch’s daughter or not, whether she deserves to be Lynch or not. I'll just give you an estimate.
Beautifully shot, but on the verge of a foul not even because of the idea (the idea is just in its kind beautiful), but because of directorial bugs and terrible music (when in the midst of an erotic scene, pseudo-monks from Enigma sang, I wanted to insert plugs in my ears).
There was a movie called “Color of the Night” that was akin to it. “Color of the Night” received the “Golden Cranberries” or some other berry award for kitsch, and Lynch’s daughter was thrown with tomatoes and rotten eggs for such a dubious Elena. What a popular thing.
However, if I speak like a woman and throw away all my aesthetic habits, I admit that the film excites. Exciting passionate tenderness
The main character, the contrasting beauty of both of them, are excited by decorative interiors, fresh flowers, even a bad copy of Venus of Milo, when Sands her.
Hug. Here Fenn is sitting in a luxurious negligee without arms and legs on his improvised throne, an incarnate deity, love-idol, love-idee.
It is a fix from which the very possibility of development is cut off. Actually, Helena of Troy, Elena in Goethe is an abstract femininity, she is kidnapped, she is owned, she is decided for her, she does not need limbs, she is sterile and attractive, like eternity. I don’t remember this image in previous literature or movies. Fowles’ “collector” is more psychological (and therefore a little less metaphorical) ... and it is a different kind of possession – possession out of envy, out of the desire to rule.
In a sense, in this already old film, if you want, you can find modern problems in the relationship between a man and a woman: a too strong woman too weak man secretly always dreams of depriving her of strength, unless, of course, he forgets about the connection between Eros and Thanatos in the arms of a woman-mother who at the right moment will calm down with something like It’s ok honey.
After watching the film, there was a strong desire to listen to Venus in furs Velvet Underground for the thousandth time. This would make a much more appropriate soundtrack.
Schizophrenic, sometimes erotic to the final shocking story of obsession. It would seem that this film is a lot of things, but to tell, as if special and nothing. One man has fallen in love with another, so he is willing to do anything to keep him. Moreover, even this person (who has fallen in love) does not really need a response. Then there is a shocking transformation, both physically and spiritually, and there is a dramatic or even tragic finale, which, as it turns out, is not final, but the general idea leads to a connection with the American Psychopath, who was removed 8 years later.
It is absolutely certain that this film is quite original, but it is difficult to call it a good one. The eccentric game of the main character of course has, but the heroine, in addition to its external beauty, in my opinion, very strange and unnaturally performed its role. It is difficult to understand what a person can feel in such a situation, but amorphous behavior causes surprise, and later distrust.
Further, the film is filled with a mass of inconsistencies that bring plot confusion, are silenced, and with stylistic jumps in the plot, introduce a certain dissonance of perception. It seems that either the script turned out to be unfinished, or the director could not clearly present it.
To finish my critical grunts, I can’t say that I didn’t like the film. He left conflicting feelings, but remained in memory as something special.
It's hard to recommend. A specific movie.
It’s hard to say whether David Lynch’s daughter was motivated by an interest in acrotomophilia, or whether she just wanted to tell a non-trivial love story, but the fact is that she wrote the script for Elena in the Box when she was under twenty. Then the girl waited a little and started shooting her first film. The debut can hardly be called successful, but it also does not pull on modest and imperceptible: after all, the first picture - and then "Golden Raspberry" for the worst director.
And everything began quite epic: Madonna and Kim Basinger claimed the main role (in connection with the fashion for erotic thrillers of this type was in price). However, if you blame someone for the failure of the film, it is clearly not the performer of the role of Elena, because Sherilyn Fenn rather pulls on the only significant reason to watch the action to the end. Julian Sands, in general, is also good, but if outwardly he is psychopathic enough for his role, then his acting abilities do not shine: either he does not play, then he overplays, getting into notes from strength twice for the entire timekeeping.
As for the script, it is forgivable for a nineteen-year-old girl, provided she remains a prisoner of the table forever. Writing something like that, seriously counting on shooting, is somewhat crazy. Judge for yourself: the beautiful Elena in the evenings sticks out at a brightly lit window in one underwear, goes to parties to the ex and there bathes in the fountain, undressed to the combination. At the same time, a woman does not miss an opportunity to anger an unbalanced surgeon, behaving like a real bitch. And the surgeon, in turn, tries to forget in the arms of a colleague, but he is hampered by his love for Helena and the Oedipus complex. You do not need to be a psychic to understand what the situation awaits the viewer in the end. However, in case someone is very tight with logical thinking, the camera periodically grabs an antique statue containing a clear hint.
Among the advantages of the film can be noted lit up in a small role Art Garfunkel (alas, he does not sing), erotic scene under “Enigma” with elements of voyeurism and pouring from the screen a wide stream of sexuality Sherilyn Fenn (however, if David and Jennifer came up with the idea to arrange a competition for the best role of Sherilyn, thanks to Audrey Horne from “Twin Peaks” score would be 1: 0 in favor of his father). Oh yes, swimming in the fountain is also a plus, although before the "Sweet Life" this scene is like the moon.
I can’t say that the film disappointed, as expectations were more than modest: some film with the letter “E”, preferably with a beautiful woman in the lead role. If you take it seriously, even Fatal Instinct, which is a parody of erotic thrillers, will seem a much better application of Sherilyn’s talents than this first Jennifer Chambers Lynch pancake.
Nick is the clinic's chief surgeon. Barely burying his mother, he moves with his friend Anne to the parental home in which he spent his childhood. One day, having stopped by a bar with a friend to skip a glass or two, he saw a longtime acquaintance Elena with whom he once had an intimate relationship. Old memories came with a new force, capturing all his thoughts completely. It was as if Elena had settled in his skull, leaving him alone day or night. Dreams and reality intertwined in a single, inseparable stream of inflamed consciousness, awakening dormant complexes.
Jennifer Chambers Lynch, the daughter of David Lynch, began filming the film when she was 22, according to a script she had written three years earlier. Criticism was harsh, both from the professional community and from the public. Feminists represented by the National Women's Organization accused the author of a sadistic plot. Often reproached for nepotism, however, this is the fate of all the children of famous parents and Jennifer was no exception to the rule. It is worth admitting that the criticism is largely fair, but in some ways excessive. Still, it was worth making a discount on the young age of the director. Perhaps this explains the reason for the appearance of such weak points in the film as the obsessive comparison of Helena with the statue of Venus or a caged bird. These complexes of the main character show that the author is familiar with the works of Freud, who found the root of all troubles in a distant childhood, and necessarily linking them with sex. I don't know what Jennifer meant, but don't take Nick's twisted fantasies literally. Perhaps it’s just a metaphor for a man’s desire to possess a woman at all costs as a beautiful thing, making her his property, literally tying her hand and foot and depriving her of freedom of movement. This type of behavior is characteristic of many representatives of the stronger sex, and part of the “weaker”. But there is another extreme, characterized by giving the loved one complete freedom, as long as he was happy. This philosophy of love is most vividly described in the well-known book “Emmanuel” and its adaptation. The truth lurks somewhere between these two extremes, but each chooses for himself. It is also impossible not to notice the knowledge of the author of the works of Luis Buñuel. The allusion to "Day Beauty" is quite clear in this mix of dream and reality. If Jennifer was more experienced, she could make all the hints and references thinner and more elegant, but critics for a long time fought off her desire to make a movie and the next picture, not counting the series, came out only after 16 years.
Acting is also one of the weaknesses of the picture. Sherilyn Fenn, well known for the TV series “Twin Peaks”, did not shine talent, but with such a bright appearance it is possible to forgive this disadvantage, but Julian Sands, who played Nick, has no such trump card, and he did not please with what is. Their pair looked like another version of Beauty and the Beast, less scary than nasty. The film sounds very good music, but, don’t tell me, the erotic scene to the tune of “Enigma” looks very banal and it went. By the way, there are a lot of erotic scenes here, but who will surprise them now? The final was not impressive, yet it is quite expected, because it is quite logical. It was necessary to consult the Pope to add absurdity, to create fog. Let it all become incomprehensible, but cool.
Concluding reflections on the film, I would like to note its undoubted usefulness in expanding the knowledge of ordinary film fans about Hollywood clans and nothing more.
5 out of 10
Because of love, you can go crazy, but this madness is not always good for you. And so it happened with Nick, a promising and successful surgeon who fell in love with the incarnation of the Goddess of Love - Helena. He dreams of her in fantasies, at work, at parties. She gives him contempt and contempt. In a fatal accident, Elena is hit by a car, right in front of Nick. He takes her to him, and due to a severe injury, he amputates both legs. Awakening from sleep, the girl is shocked. What followed was despair, a sea of varied emotions and love intertwined with hatred.
And perhaps this movie would have been a crying melodrama, if not for the director Jennifer Lynch. The daughter of the incomparable David Lynch, director and screenwriter, founder of art house. Some of his most famous works are Elephant Man, Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive. Jennifer already at an early age, starred in the film of her father – the eraser’s head, and continued her career in the field of “elite cinema is not for everyone.”
She also wrote The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, which was published just when Twin Peaks was at its peak.
The real name of Jennifer Lynch lit up after the release of the thriller “Helena in the box”. Excellent acting and incomparable Sherilyn Fenn make the picture refined, bright, with elements of eroticism and very sensual scenes.
Opened a century ago, the complex finds its expression in the modern world. The boy fell in love with a girl who, both outwardly and in her behavior, looked like his mother. Like his mother, he rejected him. Men who read this text may not answer aloud, but a considerable part of them admits to themselves - this was the case in their lives.
The film in some places turns into a theater of the absurd, but the main line remains unchanged: the real attraction of the loser in relations with people and the ideal in its business so it would be better to remain a dreamer and admirer. And it would be better not to find a real manifestation of his feelings - because of their inequality of the soul, they are just as ugly in the real world.
To those who consider Lynch’s daughter a loser, I can say that in the film two scenes are very in place and very beautifully depicted: Elena’s bathing in the fountain, as well as the phantom play of the already disfigured heroine with her tormentor.
The lack of anatomical scenes is also pleasing in this film: everything is depicted quite conventionally. Despite the fact that Sherilyn Fenn failed to appear in megablockbusters of the level of Titanic, her talent is unsurpassed.
This film is worth watching because the plot is really interesting, as well as for those who want to plunge into that era - the era of the eighties.