The Loss of Sexual Innocence

Starring:Julian Sands, Saffron Burrows, Stefano Dionisi, Kelly Macdonald, Gina McKee, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Bernard Hill, Rossy de Palma, John Cowey, Nina McKay, Dickson Osa-Omorogbe, Jock Gibson Cowl, Justin Chadwick, Femi Ogumbanjo, Hanne Klintoe, Johanna Torell, Geriant Ellis, George Moktar, Mark Long, Red Mullet
Director: Mike Figgis
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

At turns both mesmerizing and frustrating, Mike Figgis's 1999 experimental feature interweaves an audacious dramatization of the Adam and Eve myth with autobiographical vignettes from the director's life. In Figgis's golden rendering of the Genesis tale, the first humans are a black man (Femi Ogumbanjo) and a white woman (Hanne Klintoe), who emerge one day, fully formed, from a lake, and regard each other with playful wonder. They discover, like children, their anatomical differences, and explore the surrounding green paradise until coming upon the tree of knowledge. From this they eat and almost instantly reevaluate one another with a steely lust. Thus their, and our, fabled fall from grace ends in the mire of sexual possession and walled-off feeling, a tragedy that Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas) uses as a touchstone for the contemporary story of a filmmaker named Nic (Julian Sands). Nic's own youthful experiences with various kinds of formative humiliation, including finding his teenage girlfriend in bed with his best friend, are presented as flashbacks meant to resonate with his marital unhappiness today. Less clear are other moments out of time that don't particularly connect with Figgis's major theme, especially an odd development in which twin sisters (both played by Saffron Burrows), each unaware of the other's existence, have a fleeting, worlds-are-colliding encounter at an airport. Figgis also reaches into a grab bag of Nic's other old sorrows, things that don't uniquely inform or enhance the film's point, and muddies things up a bit. But the sheer hubris of marrying a myth with a memoir carries the day here, and Figgis leaps the hurdle of potential self-parody with a certain courage. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

The Loss of Sexual Innocence.......2007-01-13

Based to a great extent on the authors life experiences, this film consists of a series of interwoven allegories based on the eternal values of good, evil, and retribution. Autobiographical scenes taken from the authors own life often portray a reality which makes you feel that you may have once been there yourself.
This is one of a handful of films which have to be regarded as great literature. You won't watch it just once.

OH my goodness.......2006-05-31

This movie changed my life!!!
the plot line was so good it was awful
i had no idea what the movie was about
it jumped from a dog getting humped to a little blue person being hit by a car
it is amazing
if i had to watch one movie over and over again in my life
this wouldnt be it
but it would be number 2 or 3 on my list because it is that good
now back to the little blue person
what was that about i mean if i hit a little blue guy i would not stop driving
i would actually drive faster
thats just me
but anyways this movie makes you wanna cut your friend in his sleep the apply rubbing alcohol and neosporin to the cut and then put a bandaid on it while your friend is still alseep
thats how good it is
and theres some relgious crap in there too
overall
you must see this movie

Very Odd, Slightly Innovative.......2006-04-20

I've never seen a movie by Mike Figgis (although I just rented "Leaving Las Vegas" and will watch it later) and I don't know what drew me to see this movie, but Figgis has a very interesting vision. The movie somehow stretches 103 minutes with little events or dialouge occuring. However, I barely noticed the lack of dialouge until much later in the film. The unique thing is events do occur when there is no dialouge. The movie does have a plot that unfolds very quickly and it has some of the strangest plot points I've ever seen. No synopsis could accurately describe what this movie is about or what it's going to look like, but I'll try. The movie begins in Kenya, where we meet a young boy named Nic who watches a young Kenyan girl read to an old man from The Bible in nothing but lingerie. Then, years later, Nic is with his girlfriend (who's name I don't recall) who's father has just died. She ignores him and he catches her necking with some guy in her room. Then, we go back and watch as they attempt to have sex on the floor but are caught by her father who doesn't even notice what they were trying to do. Then, we meet Nic years later. Nic is married and has a young son and his marriage is obviously (although we are never told this directly) in turmoil. But, that's OK because Nic has a mistress who also happens to work with him. He's a film producer and he's traveling to some other country to shoot a movie. During all this, we are shown short vignettes of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, discovering new things. The entire story (with no dialouge whatsoever) is told here. The snake, the fruit. Except they're thrown out by a bunch of cops and barking dogs. Odd. Some of these scenes are very explicit too (especially the ones where both of them urinate), I'm amazed they got away with only an R rating. But, as I've mentioned; there's a huge lack of dialouge.
This would be unbearable if it weren't for the score. The music in this film is absolutely amazing (and composed by Figgis, talented guy) and I'm surprised it didn't get Oscar nominated. I do agree with a lot of the reviews on this site, but this movie is pretty affecting in some parts which really does show talent if you're capable of having an affect on someone with out saying anything. The Adam & Eve section could be deleted from the film and they would not have to edit out a single other scene and the movie would still be good. But the movie's heart & soul really is these scenes. They're beautiful, if not a bit creepy. But, this is a strange movie that is not something you need to add to your DVD collection and it's not a movie you'd probably watch again. But the first time you watch it, it's a strange/weird/creepy experience.
I do recommend it, but rent it before buying.

GRADE: A-

Too Artsy-Fartsy.......2004-10-23

I will grant that I don't watch a lot of art or independant films, but I checked this one out because I think Saffron Burrows is a fine actress and incredibly beautiful. This movie seems to be trying to impress people with an "artistic" re-invention of the Garden of Eden tale woven with a more modern tale. I got what he was trying to say with this (or at least most of it), but I thought the movie and its' message just didn't work.

Gotta see it to believe it........2004-04-27

2001: A Space Odyssey meets Blue Velvet. It's as carefully paced and music-laden as the former, as far from redemption as the latter. Don't read any blurbs or summaries, just watch it.

Average customer rating:

The Loss of Sexual Innocence
OH my goodness
Very Odd, Slightly Innovative
Too Artsy-Fartsy
Gotta see it to believe it.

The Loss of Sexual Innocence [Region 2]
Starring: Julian Sands , Saffron Burrows , Stefano Dionisi , Kelly Macdonald , and Gina McKee
Director: Mike Figgis
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Customer Reviews:

The Loss of Sexual Innocence.......2007-01-13

OH my goodness.......2006-05-31

Very Odd, Slightly Innovative.......2006-04-20

Too Artsy-Fartsy.......2004-10-23

Gotta see it to believe it........2004-04-27

2001: A Space Odyssey meets Blue Velvet. It's as carefully paced and music-laden as the former, as far from redemption as the latter. Don't read any blurbs or summaries, just watch it.

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