I have ambivalent thoughts about the latest from director Jane Campion (The Piano, Portrait of a Lady). In The Cut confirms (as if any proof was needed) that Ms. Campion is a visual artist of the highest caliber who has something original to say. She is masterful at creating a mood and helping actors modulate and pitch a performance. One of my favorite scenes in any of this year's films involves Meg Ryan and Jennifer Jason Leigh as somewhat disillusioned half-sisters frankly discussing the meanings and complications of sex for mature single women. It made me wish the film stop wasting my time with corpses and suspects.

The problem is that these are indeed characters in a slasher mystery/thriller. If one were to evaluate the film exclusively on the basis of that popular genre, I'd agree that the film is an interesting failure. Plot contrivances and unlikely coincidences abound. Most critics have chosen to focus on the mystery aspect while neglecting In the Cut's many virtues. Thus, in general, the film is being under-rated. (Only Mick LaSalle of the S.F. Chronicle over-rates the film). To complicate matters, those likely to be receptive to the film's strengths, might be turned off by gory crime scenes.