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The Center of the World
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List Price: $24.98
Our Price: $22.49
Your Save: $ 2.49 ( 10% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
Starring: Shane Edelman, Peter Sarsgaard, Molly Parker, Karry Brown, Alisha Klass
Directed By: Wayne Wang
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
Brand: Lions Gate
EAN: 0012236119630
Format: Closed-captioned
Label: Lions Gate
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Lions Gate
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2001-12-18
Running Time: 88
Studio: Lions Gate
Theatrical Release Date: 2001
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Editorial Reviews:
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What should have been a simple cash-for-sex arrangement sends a young computer genius and a beautiful stripper on an emotionally shattering journey into their deepest erotic fantasies. Captured with raw voyeuristic intimacy its a provocative sensual tour de force. Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 05/21/2002 Starring: Molly Parker Carla Gugino Run time: 88 minutes Rating: Ur Director: Wayne Wang
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Sex, Power, and Let's Not Be Coy About It.
Comment: In 2000, director Wayne Wang changed his pace from studio-supported movies to make a low-budget film about sex and power. "The Center of the World" was his first digital film, shot alternately on a Digi Betacam and Mini DV. Most critics didn't like it, but it is a rare film that deals with sex as frankly as this one, an unflinching exploration of the costs and consequences of sexual power. And this is a sexy film. There is a lot of sexual game-playing in it. My only complaint is that the Mini DV used in so many of the intimate scenes and close-ups brings out too much detail and makes the actors look sallow. This was before the days of HD DV, so the quality leaves something to be desired.
Richard (Peter Sarsgaard) is a twenty-something technology entrepreneur whose hard work and dismal social life have made him co-owner of a company about to go public. He's going to be rich, and he'd like to enjoy himself. He is attracted to Florence (Molly Parker), a woman who frequents a local coffee shop. When he finds out that Florence is a stripper, Richard offers her $10,000 to spend three nights with him in Las Vegas, thinking this is an agreeable way to make his fantasies come true. Florence accepts, on the condition that there will be no intercourse. "It's all an act. You know that, right?" she says.
Richard is used to being master of his own world, building a company and a fortune from behind a monitor and keyboard. Florence makes a living with her power to inspire men's imaginations and fulfill their fantasies while maintaining distance and control. Richard and Florence like each other, and their arrangement seems mutually beneficial. They have lively conversations about mundane things...until the power game becomes a power struggle. To what extent did Richard's fantasy become reality? Most women would not act as Florence does; strippers are very conscious of boundaries. But does her unwillingness to cede power undermine her own interests? "The Center of the World" is unpredictable and provocative.
The DVD (Lions Gate 2001): Click on "Explore Me" to find a teaser, a trailer, 2 alternate endings (12 min) that I think are superfluous, bios and filmographies (text) for 10 cast and crew members, "Behind the Cyberscenes" (5 min), which is about creating the now-defunct interactive web site for the film, and Production Notes (text) that include comments by the director and actors. Click on "Tell Me Now" to hear audio commentary by director Wayne Wang and post production consultant Patrick Lindenmaier. This commentary is for 7 segments of the movie only. Choose a segment from the menu. Commentary is about technical issues, primarily how the "look" of the film was achieved and working with DV. Also click the "play" icon at the bottom to hear an audio-only comment by Wang.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Center of the World
Comment: As a stripper, I expected to relate closely to this movie (even though I would never meet a client outside of the club). I was not disappointed. The role of the female protagonist (stripper) was obviously created with respect for the character, and the film did a good job of making an obvious division between her "real" and "night" lives, which many "stripper movies" fail to reveal. It also does a surprisingly good job of showing the storyline from two, opposite perspectives (without any sort of split-screen narratives): both the stripper and her customer have well-thought-out, dynamic, complex roles.
The female protagonist does a fantastic job of showing the dichotomy between her "real" and "stripper" lives, and the director was smart to include a transformative scene where the actress changes herself in order to fit a different role (by applying make-up). Too often, strippers are portrayed as sex objects who are always "on," rather than the normal people we (often) are. This was refreshing.
So it's a pretty short movie, but the acting is very good, and the director/writer seems to have been informed about the industry, for I found it to be relatively authentic compared to most representations out there. Stripper-movie-junkies will find that this is not the typical stripper movie where women are scaling poles in the background at all times.
As a side note, you might wonder, upon viewing the film, if something is wrong with your TV screen, but you will quickly get used to the unique, grainy look of the movie. In my opinion, it actually adds to the authenticity the director is attempting to portray.
Customer Rating:
Summary: movie
Comment: It was a very unusual movie. I was a bit confused about their relationship, but I was entertained enough to watch the whole thing.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Sex shouldn't be boring
Comment: Two moderately decent-looking white people who apparently aren't very good at sex go at it in this movie. If that's your thing, why not just rent a bad softcore porn film and be done with it? At least then you won't have to listen to the cornball pseudo-artistic dialogue in this film. What a crock. They could at least have cast a fine young sista like Rosario Dawson or Gabrielle Union to make this movie moan and squeal! This movie makes sex seem boring.
Customer Rating:
Summary: intense sexy drama with leads in great performances
Comment: Peter Sarsgaard(The Salton Sea, Empire) is in love with Molly Parker(Bliss1997, Sunshine) who is a hooker& a stripper and so Sarsgaard brings Parker to Vegas for 3 days where then things start to unfold. Sarsgaard's passion for Parker breaks down a wall and she might like him too. Great performances by the leads with some intense, sexual moments, some of which Parker shows some skin, nice..adult drama about obsession. Also starring Balthazar Getty (Project Greenlight's Feast, Lost Highway) and Alisha Klass.
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