Very Cool!!!

Some things I liked some I did not.

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

A different way of telling a story

The script is disastrous, pretentious boring drivel. Whoever wrote those dialogues and plot is a loser who never had a meaningful relationship with anyone, or hopefully had one but absolutely no writing talent whatsoever.The camera work is a pathetic attempt at presenting the movie as an 'art film', 'independent' or whatever is supposed to give it some value. The only reason I managed to get through to around 90% of this film is my friend who laughed at and ridiculed every single line of those fake dialogs. I mostly spend my time wondering how much worse is it going to get.If people can actually get this kind of trash to DVD and cable TV, I wonder whether I should give up my profession and start making movies. I am convinced I can write a much better script than this junk.Don't even think about watching this.

If you decide to rent this film or catch it on HBO (which seems to run it several times a month these days), know up front that it is uneven and ultimately doesn't really end up anywhere interesting. The writer/director Wang was trapped with only two possible outcomes, granted. But after the level of trust his performers put into him, he owed them and us something more satisfying than where the movie takes the audience. However, the performance of Molly Parker makes watching this film more than worth the failings of the script.No one, NO ONE, came close to what she does in this film that year. If you have any respect left for the choices the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members, not to mention most of the critic groups, don't watch this movie. The fact that Parker was completely overlooked, while Julie Robert's over-hyped, far-short-of-spectacular turn in ERIN BROCKOVICH got the accolades, shows what total rubbish these critical popularity horse races really are. In CENTER OF THE WORLD Parker gives an astoundingly brave performance. Yet it is the nuanced, subtle touches that show the viewer her character's shifting attitudes that make it such a stand-out job. Without a single line of expository dialogue to illuminate the internal one, one can follow the character's struggle to maintain the control she thought she had on her own emotions. The idea that some young people have the wisdom of adults without having had the experiences to form that wisdom and what happens when they face situations that test them in a similiar fashion is very intriguing. Its a shame the film cannot match the effort Parker puts into it. Peter Sarsgaard does a 180 degree flip from his turn in BOYS DON'T CRY and while not as amazing as Parker, he does fine job too. His character is more of a now stock one: the brilliant guy with immature sexual development.But above all else, bravo Ms Parker, BRAVO!

It's hard to find a truly erotic movie made in America. Most mainstream films have little sex/no nudity and a whole lot of violence. And what constitutes "erotic art" in films is made up horribly contrived, unbelievable Cinemax/Playboy movies. That lack any real heat and are amazingly unsexy and boring. So a film like "Center of the World" is a rare gem. It actually is sensual, erotic and the participants in the sex scenes seem comfortable and actually engaged in what they are doing. The scenes do not come off as awkward or simulated. Which is the challenge for any film director. To make the audience believe what they are seeing is real. What's special here is that a great actress who one would actually like to see do nudity/sexual material, has the lead female role. There's no body doubles here and Molly seems really comfortable with the nudity and explicit sex scenes. She looks absolutely gorgeous throughout the movie. And is not the traditional, cookie butter starlet that is churned out in a 1,001 Cinemax skin flicks. Hollywood should make more of these films. Unfortunately, I think during this age of "sexual repression" in the arts, our natural human sexual needs will continue to be hidden from view on both the big and small screens.

Wayne Wang has built most of his career directing films about unique relationships and this one is exactly that. But its also one that really doesn't have much to say. Peter Sarsgaard plays Richard who is a man that has a computer business and its on the verge of going public and earning him even more money than he has now. Molly Parker is Florence who is an exotic dancer in a strip club and she meets Richard in a coffee shop. They talk and he finds out where she works. Finally he asks her if she would come to Las Vegas with him for 10,000 dollars. She lays out the ground rules like no sex. But between 10pm and 2am she will do erotic things with him without intercourse. During the stay in Vegas Richard meets her friend Jerri (Carla Gugino) and at one point she says her boyfriend beat her up. Richard gives her money to help her out. One of the questions surrounding the story is if Florence and Jerri were in on it together to get more money out of Richard. Its possible. The center of the film is Parkers performance as Florence. Its the best thing in the film and Parker reminded me of Linda Fiorentino in "The Last Seduction". A very smart woman who doesn't compromise and is in control at all times. At one point in the film Florence is masturbating and I think the scene shows that whatever sexual pleasure she receives will be on her terms, when she allows it. *****SPOILER ALERT*****The end of the film has no revelation and the character of Richard is so predictable that one can't help but call him a big fool. Of course he falls for her and thinks that over the course of time she'll change her mind about him. But business is business and Florence tells him that she's here for the money, just as they had agreed on. The irony of the film is that Richard is a very successful man with a computer company making lots of money but when it comes to relationships, he's a failure. Florence is the one that understands what business is. She's a consummate pro! Film is moderately interesting without having any real message or angle to the story. We don't know if Florence and Jerri set up Richard and you can't feel sorry for him. He's portrayed as such a schmuck. We saw his intentions when he first asked Florence to Vegas. I guess that makes Florence quite the opportunist!