12 THE llST ::
Sex Hes
In a provocative date rape drama, THANDIE NEWTON tackles a role tougher than anything Hollywood can throw at her. was: Alan Morrison
'l‘ll.-\.\’l)lli .\'li\\”l’().\' l’l'l.l.S herxell upright and geh read) to ttthlt‘L‘\\ the ixxtlc‘ head-on. 'lillC \l‘ttt' Ul. JUNK/iv)” III l’urix tttttl (I'I‘I-(HIH‘A'J is thud to talking about her \\Ul’l\. hut there\ more at \take here than juxt promoting a mo\ic. BBC} drama In Your /)I'('(llll_\ l\ the toughc\t role \he hax had in her \e\en-_\ear career. not ith! hecanxe it pllxltc‘tl her talents as an itc‘ll'L‘.\\ l‘urther than before. hut lk‘c‘tltlxc‘ ll.\ xuhject matter date rape has challenged her on n ltt‘ltclix.
‘Becauxe othoxx raPe ix handled in the press. I alua'u imagine the stereot)ped rapist as an older "heaxt".' \;l_\.\ the 34—}ear—old. ‘\\'hen I \a\\ In Your Ural/11.x. one thing that struck the “ax \\ e \xcre hoth rea|l_\ _\oung. Looking at 0/. he \eemx so innocent in _\ear.\.'
Newton‘s c‘tt-xlttl‘ ()li\cr .\lilhurn tnick- named ()/) tlttc‘x appear fresh-laced and charming. hut innocence and guilt are flexible terms \\ hen date rape is on the agenda. In the heat ol‘ passion. l.\ a quiet ‘no' reall} a \I) I‘m") It's one ol‘ the lllttxl mmmc issues imaginahle. .v\ccu.\ation.\ ll} he “as onl} going ttx tar as he could get a\\a_\ \tith; she'x onl} acting out ol‘ guilt because \he “as drunk
hecause e\er_\onc hringx their oun baggage to an interpretation ol‘ exents.
When In Your Urea/11.x was \ct'eetted at the lidinhurgh l-‘ilm l‘esti\al in l‘)‘)(>. the dehate hctucen the l‘ilmmakeix and audience that liollou ed \\a\ Pit\\ltmillc and otten contradic— tor}, No [no \ie\\pnin[\ L‘xpt‘exxcd were the \ame. l’artl} that has to do \\ ith the \tructure ol‘ the lilm. \xhich examine\ the same situation from three \ ieu points.
l'iit‘xl come\ the 'ohjectiw' \L‘t'xinlt. ltllltn'k- ing tttti\c‘t'.\ll} \tudentx (‘lare t.\'e\\’tont and Jamie t.\lilhurn) on their lit'xl date together; her grouing realixation that she is not interested l\ at odds “ill! hix huilt-up dexirc. 'l’he conxequencex are allegations ol‘ rape and a court case during \xhich. in dt‘amatixed lilaxhhack. \\e we hoth ('Iare and Jamie's \er} dit‘l‘erent takes on e\cnt\. In her mind. she \xorc a long-\Ieex ed jumper; he remembers a lou— cut drew When the tilm ultimate!) presents the dehate in concrete fashion 7 the too interpretations pla} out silltttllttneottsl) in \plit \crecn \xe're t‘orced to question our heliel's and expectations. making uncoml’ortahle \ie\\iitg.