In the not-too-distant future, a former cop-turned slimy hustler (Ray Fiennes, surprisingly effective) stumbles into a Rodney King-style police murder coverup in the days leading up to The Millennium. In the mid 1990s, a slew of films included "virtual reality" or "cyberspace" elements--
The Lawnmower Man, Johnny Mnemonic, Virtuosity, The Thirteenth Floor and
The Matrix spring to mind.
Strange Days features a skullcap-mounted video/audio recorder which perfectly captures an individual's experiences: When played back with the same skullcap, you see what they saw. A pretty cool concept, well rendered and included in the film. A great cast, including Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Michael Wincott, Vincent D'Onofrio, Richard Edson, William Fichtner, Josef Sommer, and Nicky Katt. Not a perfect film, but there is lots to recommend it.
(Maine Mall Cinema)
