Alexandra's Project

2003 "Not everyone loves surprises"
6.5| 1h43m| NR| en
Details

Steve is a man who has it all, a successful career, wonderful children, beautiful home and a loving wife. However, returning to his home after work on his birthday, he finds his house deserted and darkened with almost all the lightbulbs missing, all easy access outside cut off and a videotape waiting for him. Playing that tape, he watches a bizarre and grueling recording in which his wife explains her grievance with him, her reasons for disappearing with the children and her revenge for how he treated her in a way he would never forget.

Director

Producted By

Vertigo Productions

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Reviews

Rpgcatech Disapointment
Seraherrera The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity
Sammy-Jo Cervantes There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
dutchchocolatecake Good props, good scenery, competent acting and a gripping story that leaves the viewer on the edge of their seat makes this movie worth watching. There is a lot of nudity and some sex scenes, but are not gratuitous in that they are *actually part of the story.*Most of the reviews on this site are full of it. This movie is not nearly as bad as people are making it out to be. This is first and foremost a psychological thriller, it is NOT intended to leave you feeling comfy with your world view or everyday assumptions of how day to day life works. It is very much a "what you see is not always what you get" kind of movie. If you watch this and feel *that* enraged that you start attacking women, feminism, or encouraging violence against women; then you have serious psychological issues that need MUCH MORE than Prozac to fix. But, if you are a man who is secure in yourself and your ability to relate with women as human beings; this movie won't bother you at all. It might even amuse you. Several times I found myself laughing because this movie *really does* portray the average white collar career climbing narcissist as the clueless, dismissive derp that he is. Over here in the states, they act much more arrogant and stuck on themselves but the idea comes across well enough.The point-of-perspective of this movie is very intriguing. The first part of the movie is from the point of view about the husband. The viewer sees HE is visible to the public, HE is compensated for his contribution to society, HE is rewarded for doing a good job, HE is celebrated as a valuable member of society. The wife is sort of "just there" doing all the things society takes for granted; and goes relatively unnoticed unless she is doing something out of the ordinary.Fast forward about a half an hour and we start to see things from the wife's perspective. Her perspective is shown from the television screen, which is meant to symbolize the smallness of her voice and visibility compared to the husband's. His birthday present is a tape that he has the power to pause, fast forward, turn off, or do whatever he wants; conveying that everything has been on his terms from the word go. Despite all this, I did NOT walk away from this movie feeling it was feminist. It is a story that is MEANT to fly in the face of popular opinion of what people have the "right" to do. People saying the wife is "wacko" are clueless. That was never part of the story. She didn't Snap. She was completely lucid throughout. THAT is what makes the movie so disturbing in the first place.For pete's sakes. The conclusions people come up with about movies are endlessly creative in their interpretation. And out of all the movies that visit graphic, psychopathic, explicit, *obscene* scenes of violence and rape on the bodies of women; people choose THIS movie to get upset about? Really? It wasn't even scary, well, not unless you think losing control of the remote to the television (or anything else you "think" is property) is a horrifying thought. Then I suggest you skip it, because you all you will do is react; and you will not be able to *get* the story that was being told in the first place.
drpakmanrains Alexandra's project 1s a film that is totally unpleasant to watch, like Funny Games, with little satisfaction granted the viewer at the end. One day after being promoted at work on his birthday, Alexandra's husband comes home expecting to have a surprise party with his wife and kids, and instead encounters an empty home and a video left by her, which starts out like a gift, then a tease, and finally a long and calculated torture porn exercise of revenge for his being clueless as to her misery for much if not all of their married life, and for seeing her as a sex toy and not for her inner self. Older films like "Enough", at least gave the viewer the framework and purpose for the vicious revenge planned and executed. But Alexandra's revenge, while so extreme as to be sick, actually winds up engendering sympathy for her husband, who while clueless, was basically a decent guy. Like some women, Alexandra expects her husband to know what she wants and why she is miserable without actually telling him. So this movie becomes a psychotic rant with pornographic overtones that is so disturbing to watch that it ultimately seems to drag rather than be suspenseful. If I only considered the performances, I might have rated the film as high as a 5, but I can't remember seeing another film that was so completely unsatisfying to watch in the last 20 years, and I am 71. When I was a child, sometimes my mother would bawl me out for not helping her do something, when she didn't ask me in the first place. When I would ask her why she didn't tell me she needed help she would say "I shouldn't have to ask. You should know I needed your help". So I was in trouble for something I had no idea I had or hadn't done. This film is an extreme example of that concept gone completely mad. Awful!
kosmasp The movie starts pretty powerful and suspenseful. But the problem is the twist in the story. And while others do talk about it here, I'm not going the spoiler road. But I will tell you, that everything falls apart with that twist. The main problem being that the viewers feelings have to change (for the characters). But it does not go the full way, so most actions seem ridiculous.Of course you could argue, that some of the things have been done in other movies, without any reasons (none that we are told or as slim as those portrayed here ... slim for the mayhem it seems to have kicked off). But we're not talking about other movies, we are talking about this one. The way the movie starts leaves a few things open. But the way it decides to go, is a path with no redemption. Still nicely done, but not my cup of tea.
NoGreenGus Wow! This one takes a page out of Takashi Miike's "Audition" and throws a little Lorena Bobbitt into the mix, Australian style. The film is undeniably well-made. The acting is superb by both leads, and the direction is taut and methodical with a distinct visual style. The contemporary, bitter female "man-hater" is redefined here. We get a very close look at an extremely disturbed woman, and extremely disturbed women can cause a lot of problems, even in reality! I admire the film for its inventiveness and risk-taking attitude. I always appreciate that in a film, whether I end up enjoying it or not. Guys, it might not be a good idea to watch this one with the ladies, but if you're a true cineaste like myself, I'd give it a try.