Netflix Fix -- Hardcore (2004)

To turn a borderline-exploitation story about a pair of lesbian prostitutes who turn the tables on their scumbag pimp/employer by unloading a firearm into his skull, as well as the skulls of two of his other tramps, into a heartbreaking, genuinely-touching exercise in "hearts broken" is downright impressive. Conquers the impossible, even. But that's exactly what Greek filmmaker Dennis Iliadis has done with this strange, fascinating, and totally absorbing debut, Hardcore. Adapted from a novel, Hardcore is the writing/directing introduction of Iliadis, a Greek dude blessed with a truly unique sense of both storytelling and visual panache.

What he's served up here is a poignant love story surrounded by some of the seediest characters around, and dipped in pools of sexual depravity and sporadic bloodshed. Told from the perspective of 17-year-old "veteran" prostitute Martha, Hardcore morphs its Athens, Greece, brothel setting into the darkest soap opera you'll ever see. It's hard to pin down the overall tone, but that's one of the things that makes the flick so intriguing. Martha is the resident "lost soul" of the brothel, unhappy with her job of sexual-favors-for-money, and worried that she'll never leave her fucked-up life behind and settle down with a "happy" family. She's also jealous of new girl Nadia, a 16-year-old spitfire of confidence and skill who is the brothel's fresh-faced MVP. Through a gradual chain of events, Martha and Nadia grow closer and closer, utltimately falling in love---despite each having a fellow-prostitute-boyfriend of her own. And indulging in generous amounts of cocaine and spontaneous bumpis-and-grinds. As the pay-for-play jobs increase in volume and extremities, the gals grow angry and ready to bring hell down on their pimp/employer for his shady money-pinching methods. A gun is introduced, trusts are snapped, once-passionate loves go sour like month-old chocolate milk, and tragedy says "What's (not) good?" to an unlucky few.



Iliadis loads this bitch with style upon style. It's a feast for the eyes on several levels. For starters, the two lead actresses---Katerina Tsavalou (Martha) and Danai Skiadi(Nadia)---are stunning to look at, and the fact that both deliver great performances gives Hardcore a firm backbone for all other elements to support easily. Tsavalou is especially memorable; strikingly beautiful, her natural looks mesh like crackerjack prizes with the forceful sense of vulnerability she gives "Martha." As her heart crumbles and she becomes detached from faster-living Nadia, you can acutely feel her pain. The degrees of heartache felt while watching Hardcore totally bitch-slaps those of any chick flick you could name off the top of the dome. For that matter, I'd even go as far as to say that Hardcore is indeed a "chick flick" that women should definitely see, though I'm sure the extreme sexual nature and altogether off-kilter filmmaking approach could send them running to The Hills instead. If so, consider yourself the lamest of the lame, and a lady I'd love to smack some sense into if that sort of "man's hand upon woman's cheek" weren't frowned upon. A gentleman never breaches a g-man's contract of conduct.

As ass-backwards as it sounds, I completely owe my enjoyment of Hardcore to Hollywood's otherwise despicable penchant for horror remakes. A trend that I'd much sooner piss on and then flush down a crapper than salute. However, being that Iliadis is the man behind March's impending Last House on the Left remake, I'll make an exception this time. Iliadis' Last House... looks seriously strong, based off the all-too-revealing trailer that's floating around now. My interest in it is the sole reason I'd ever heard of Hardcore in the first place, though, after reading interviews where original Last House... mastermind Wes Craven hailed Iliadis as a camera-pointing wizard based off Hardcore. And having just watched it, I clearly see where Craven is coming from. Hardcore is one of those face-smacking debuts that immediately, from the first five minutes, makes you think, "Okay, this filmmaker is definitely one to keep tabs on." If all is right in the world, his Last House on the Left won't disappoint in the slightest. Gotta wait 'til March 13 for the outcome. Calendar marked, with a Sharpie.

Specific little touches went long ways in Hardcore, moments that speak volumes to the assured hands at work behind the camera. Early on, Martha compares the dating of prostitutes within the brothel to a "Beverly Hills TV show," the film then cutting to a send-up of the old 90210 opening credits "colorfully-dressed pretty faces dancing in front of an all-white background" sequence. It's played for the laughs, but in the context of the film's permeating mood of romantic bleakness, it comes off particularly sardonic. And sort of brilliant. Same goes for a scene that in ways recalls the infamous "ass to ass" climax of Requiem for a Dream. Martha and Nadia, freshly in love and considering an idea of sharing an apartment together, are sent off by their boss to hold down sexual-favor duties at a private hotel party for a bunch of older rich folks. As she's being gangbanged in front of Nadia, who is also being tag-teamed, Martha slips deeper into her woe-is-me funk, and delivers a self-deprecating inner monologue that, much to her own surprise, is actually being spoken outloud. The mood of the pricey orgy, needless to say, is killed, but the way Iliadis presents it---as something straight out of a delirious nightmare---makes for one disorienting and lasting image.


The available movie stills for Hardcore are scarce, and the pics that are up for grabs are all boring portraits of the two actresses. So, that's all I got as far as visual aids here.

We're not dealing with a perfect film here, though, by any stretch of the imagination. Just one that hits damn near all of its intended bullseyes and packs a one-of-a-kind artistic punch that you'd never get from a modern-time Hollywood project. If there's any one fault I could single out in Hardcore it'd be the film's last 20 or so minutes. Without spoiling its milk, the flick reaches a perfect climax at about the 70-minute-mark, a spot where End Credits could've rolled and everything would've been peachy-keen. But the story continues, and drags a bit while heading towards an admittedly surprising final act. If not for this unexpected act of desperation, I'd have been pretty letdown by the film's end-chunk, which seems to beat its 808s & Heartbreak-like theme over viewing heads a bit too much.

So, yeah, goes without saying at this juncture that Hardcore called me its "Bitch" and won me over, hands down. Precisely the type of movie I'd love to show some of my friends, if only they were open to doing Matt-recommended-DVD-nights once in a while, instead of the standard Matt-gets-sloppy-drunk-alongside-us-bar-hopping-extravaganzas we've made weekly rituals of.

There's gorgeous women, quirky characters, shattered romance, and brains splattered on walls. All cooked up a la carte with crispy-clean filmmaking and acting.

How about some Hardcore? If you're a rap fan worth even half your salt, you can finish the rest yourself....