- Pretty Persuasion
Infobox_Film
name = Pretty Persuasion
caption = original film poster
amg_id = A312864
imdb_id = 0381505
writer = Skander Halim
starring =Evan Rachel Wood James Woods Ron Livingston
director =Marcos Siega
producer = Todd Dagres
Carl LevinMarcos Siega
Matt Weaver
music = Gilad Benamram
distributor =Samuel Goldwyn Films
Roadside Attractions
Renaissance Films
released =August 12 ,2005
runtime = 104 minutes
country = USA
language = English
budget = $2,500,000 (estimated)"Pretty Persuasion" is a 2005
black comedy /satirical film focusing on themes of sexual harassment and discrimination in schools, and attitudes about females in media andsociety .It was directed by
Marcos Siega and written by Skander Halim, and starsEvan Rachel Wood ,James Woods andRon Livingston . The film's tagline is: "Revenge knows no mercy."ynopsis
Kimberly Joyce (
Evan Rachel Wood ) is a high school student at Roxbury, aBeverly Hills school for the wealthy. She and her best friend Brittany (Elisabeth Harnois ) take Randa (Adi Schnall), a new student from theMiddle East , under their wing. When Kimberly decides to take her revenge on a teacher who humiliated Brittany, she draws everyone - including her friends, family and the media (a reporter played byJane Krakowski ) - into her manipulative plot.Production notes
The
musical score was composed by Gilad Benamram. The film deliberately does not feature anypopular music songs.cite web|title=Pretty Persuasion: Anatomy of a Not So Teen Movie|author=Marcos Siega|publisher=Landmark Theatres|url=http://www.movienet.com/prettypersuasion.html|accessdate=2007-12-27] Similarly, the wardrobe and props do not feature contemporary branding.Cast
*
Evan Rachel Wood - Kimberly Joyce
*David T. Wagner - Morgan
*Brent Goldberg - Rick
*Adi Schnall - Randa Azzouni
*Elisabeth Harnois - Brittany Wells
*Stark Sands - Troy
*Jane Krakowski - Emily Klein
*Michael Hitchcock - Headmaster Charles Meyer
*Danny Comden - Roger Nicholl
*Jaime King - Kathy Joyce
*Josh Zuckerman - Josh Horowitz
*James Snyder - Dave Evadsti
*Ron Livingston - Percy Anderson
*Cody McMains - Kenny
*Mike Erwin - Barry
*James Woods - Hank Joyce
*Ira David Wood IV - Martin Stivers
*Selma Blair - Grace AndersonNominations
The film was nominated for the 2005 Grand Jury Prize at the
Sundance Film Festival .Reception
The film was not received very well by film critics.
Roger Ebert called it "daring, and well-acted", but also said that it "exists uneasily somewhere between comedy and satire." [cite web|title=Pretty Persuasion|author=Roger Ebert|publisher=RogerEbert.com|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050825/REVIEWS/50824001/1023|date=2005-08-26|accessdate=2007-12-27] James Mottram ofChannel 4 opined, "Hovering uncomfortably between comedy and satire, "Pretty Persuasion" never quite gets the balance right." [cite web|title=Pretty Persuasion Review|author=James Mottram|publisher=Channel 4 Film|url=http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=155983|accessdate=2007-12-27] The Seattle "Post-Intelligencer" accused the film of being an "ugly, cheap attempt at satire", [cite web|title='Pretty Persuasion' is an ugly, cheap attempt at satire|author=Sean Axmaker|publisher=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/239001_pretty02q.html|date=2005-09-02|accessdate=2007-12-27] and "Slant" magazine called it "a pretty unpersuasive lecture". [cite web|title=Film Review: Pretty Persuasion|author=Nick Schager|publisher=Slant Magazine|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/Film/film_review.asp?ID=1687|accessdate=2007-12-27]The film has a "rotten" 33 percent rating at
Rotten Tomatoes . [cite web|title=Pretty Persuasion|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pretty_persuasion|accessdate=2007-12-27]The film deals with the issue of false allegations of sexual misconduct against men, a subject that commands little attention or respect in contemporary culture. [Ridley-Duff, R. J. (2007) Emotion, Seduction and Intimacy: Alternative Perspectives on Organisation Behaviour, Bracknell: Men's Hour Book, pp. 228-232, see http://www.scribd.com/doc/2885787/Mediating-Sexual-Conflict] , according to the critic R. J. Ridley-Duff.
References
External links
* [http://emanuellevy.com/article.php?articleID=143 Emanuel Levy: Review - Pretty Persuasion]
* [http://www.citybeat.com/2005-02-02/film.shtml Cincinnati City Beat: Happy Sundance Ending]
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