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by Frank Wilkins

Richard Longman (Peter Sarsgaard) says that his computer is the center of the world. He is a late 90s dot.com computer software engineer who sleeps on the floor under his computer, programs software, plays computer games, and has just discovered that his company's IPO went through the roof, making him a 20-fold millionaire. What more could a man ask for? More money? A faster computer? Not hardly. In this erotic exploration directed by Wayne Wang we learn that what Richard is missing is, not surprisingly, a human connection.

The story, credited to Ellen Benjamin Wong (actually the collaborative efforts of Wayne Wang, Mirand July, Paul Auster, and Siri Hustvedt) introduces us to Richard as he makes an offer to Florence (Molly Parker), a punk rock drummer and a stripper who believes her vagina is the center of the world. In a proposition that poses as many questions as were raised in Indecent Proposal, he offers her $10,000 to accompany him on a three-day weekend to Las Vegas. She agrees, but with ground rules that foreshadow coming events – no penetration, no kissing on the mouth, no talk of feelings, separate hotel rooms and a private strip tease show that begins at 10:00 pm each night and lasts until 2:00 am. And what a strip tease show it is!

The film is photographed in digital video and includes additional post-editing methods that give the film a grainy, sensual texture, making the viewer feel as though we are voyeurs with a front row seat watching with a hidden camera. Wang's camera techniques are remarkable as he explores the camera's frame with intimate care, telling the story with the actors' faces and emotions. He pays almost as much attention to the surroundings as the hand-held camera lends an aura of intimacy. One quite lengthy scene focuses on Florence as she puts on make-up. In extreme close-ups we are mesmerized by the way she applies her lipstick and covers her freckles with often just her lips filling the entire screen. It may sound like as much fun as watching grass grow, but somehow it is actually quite entrancing. Parker knows how to pour on the sexuality while staying within the confines of her character and the deal that has been struck.

The relationship begins to get serious as Florence discovers that Richard is actually quite nice and friendly. She begins to have feelings towards him but resorts to a fake menstrual flare-up to stop herself. "We have to play by the rules or this will not work". The situation gets even more juicy as we are introduced to Florence's friend Geri (Carla Gugino) who comes to the hotel room one evening after being beaten by her $2,000 trick. Geri begins to flirt with Richard bringing us dangerously close to a ménage a trois situation with us, the audience, as voyeurs. Instead the two women battle it out in a cuss-off that ends with geri storming from the hotel room.

Sarsgaard and Parker really put it on the line for this film showing rugged emotion and genuine sensuality. Although Parker is not a great beauty in the classic sense with more freckles than a 10-year old red-head, she comes off as absolutely stunning in a performance as sexy and tantalizing as Kim Basinger in 91/2 Weeks. The two of them seem to have a chemistry that makes the proposition very believable.

Wang's unique filmmaking coupled with the brilliant performances of Sarsgaard and Parker are enough to overcome the missed opportunities and weak story. There is a unique artistic flair to the movie, but in what should have been a captivating fantasy that raises questions and presents interesting dilemmas, we are more or less presented with a soft-core porn flick that can't quite figure out how to get back to the plot. Not that there's anything wrong with that however! Wang has created a mesmerizing and mature movie that attempts to show how human beings are not able to separate the feelings of the mind from the feelings of the body. The content is not for everyone but it definitely leaves you thinking.

Frank Wilkins

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Screen formats: Anamorphic widescreen 1.85:1

Subtitles: none

Sound: English: Dolby Digital 5.1; English: 2.0 surround.

Other Features: Color; interactive menus; scene access; Audio commentary by director Wayne Wang and post-production consultant Patrick Lindenmaier; Behind the Cyberscenes; The making of The Center Of The World Website; Alternate endings


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Complete Cast:

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