Strange Days (1995)

Strange Days: Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. With Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore. A former cop turned street-hustler accidentally uncovers a conspiracy in Los Angeles in 1999.

“u0026quot;Strange Daysu0026quot; is a unique science fiction and mystery film. Set in Los Angeles during the last two or so days prior to the new millennium, the cast is helmed by Ralph Fiennes as the charming, brave, but shady Lenny Nero. Lenny is a former LAPD officer who loses his job for mostly unknown reasons. He then becomes a black market hustler who sells peopleu0026#39;s recorded memories for profit. For the most part, these recorded memories are either violent or sexual in nature.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAngela Bassett does a great job complementing Fiennesu0026#39; u0026quot;Lennyu0026quot; character in her role as Macy, Lennyu0026#39;s close friend who makes a more legitimate living as a limo driver and security specialist. Lenny and Macy soon become embroiled in a murder mystery involving corruption within both the LAPD and the music industry. This seemingly ever-deepening mystery also involves Lennyu0026#39;s other close friend, Tom Sizemoreu0026#39;s character u0026quot;Maxu0026quot;. Max is a private eye who, despite seeming to be very well-intentioned, is just as shady as Lenny. Juliette Lewis rounds out the cast as u0026quot;Faithu0026quot;, Lennyu0026#39;s troubled and devious rock singer ex-girlfriend.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003enBesides the awesome and well-acted performances, what made this movie stand out to me is just how on the nose some of the background references are in it. References to an economic collapse, increasing gas prices, and strained relations between the police and minorities make this a very odd foreshadowing of the actual real-life future.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003enIn conclusion, great acting, a very deep and interesting storyline, and great cultural references make this a very highly recommended film.”