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The Learning Curve
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by MGM (Video & DVD)
Sales Rank: 91543
Price: $4.94
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Sleek and stylish, <I>The Learning Curve</I> follows two young lovers named Georgia (Monet Mazur) and Paul (Carmine Giovinazzo) who quickly discover they have a mutual taste for recklessness, cheap fast food, and petty larceny. But when a scam goes awry, they're at the mercy of a ruthless and criminal record executive. Paul starts to work for the exec and, to Georgia's dismay, is soon seduced by drugs and money. <I>The Learning Curve</I> starts out slightly implausible but is consistently surprising; as it goes along, the story grows more clichéd, yet the script, direction, and performances are smart enough that the movie maintains its stylish momentum. By the end, <I>The Learning Curve</I> is just short of preposterous, yet--much like the Hong Kong action movies that surely influenced the director--the movie remains so fully committed to the high-pitched emotions of its melodramatic plot that it becomes not only engaging but even moving. <I>--Bret Fetzer</I>
Viewer Reviews
THE LEARNING CURVE (2001) is a surprise success considering its
lack of big box office stars. Let this not deter anyone from
renting this DVD, as it packs plenty of entertainment and then
some.
The story will often appeal on the visual and intellectual aspects,
although there is a fair bit of action, too.
The cast does a splendid and convincing job over the entire 90
mins, comprising Monet Mazur as the bored daughter of a richman
(reminiscent of Darryl Hanna), Vincent Ventresca (somewhat of a
Kyle MacLachlan clone), Carmine Giovinazzo as the street smart guy
and Steve Bauer as the "tough enforcer" of the organization.
Mazur's role is that of a woman who is effective, efficient, fast,
confident, experienced in engaging and seducing men of all kinds,
and them playing them for their wealth, for the illusion of
romance and or of a personal relationship.
The visual aspects are excellent, although the release is not a
wide-screen. There's plenty of exciting, energetic moments,
including race car dare-devil behavior on the highway, near the
edges of a cliff, and more bringing an upbeat, positive feeling in
the early minutes.
The soundtrack is talented and tasteful, as are the visuals, in
capturing a variety of moods (melancholy, joy, ecstasy,
irresponsability, remorse, recklessness, etc) on screen, such as in
the darker outdoor night or indoor club scenes.
Skillfully, the move wastes no time in showing the evolution of
Mazur and Giovinazzo, from 2 youngsters ridding themselves of their
boredom by running small-time con jobs, grifts by setting up their
marks for the scores, that drives their libidos in an ever
increasing crescendo. Nothing is off their limits, from insurance
claims for a simulated accident, to sex entrapment, arson, etc.
This continues until their talent brings them to the big leagues,
to the attention of Ventresca who's a bigger player, wishing to
leverage their talent for his major real estate deal.
The developer plans to convert a run down and neglected part of the
city into a new project, that many oppose, including the municipal
politicans and some small stores.
The solution lies in power-brokering a deal with the right people,
using the right tactics, including blackmail over sex, offering
gifts and success of the right kind to the right people, including
cash.
For those familiar with sustainable development, use and misuse of
new eminent domain laws to override the 5th Amendment of the US
Constitution, stating "private property shall not be taken for
public use, without just compensation", the payoffs and
powerbrokering occurring sound realistic.
The action, chases, gun fire fights are good enough to shake the
audience's socks off.
A funny quip: " I sure you're too young for a lot of things, but I
bet that sure doesn't stop you! It's the grease that keeps the
gears going."
The moral lesson is present, as Mazur makes the choice of resisting
a pure role of prostitute in the deal, limiting herself to her
hitherto comfortable role of fleecer. Some personal feelings also
surface, questioning her mind also about what is right and wrong.
An intriguing question is left with the audience, in terms of
Mazur's prolonged anguish ... is the reaction of the character
real, when she had scored so many marks on so many cons, for so
long a time, with contemptible tactics and no remorse all that time?
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The Learning Curve
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