Nurse Betty
This week on Forgotten Cinema, the Mikes take a look at "Nurse Betty", a film that somehow manages to be incredibly sweet and deeply mean at the exact same time.
Mike Field is a big Neil LaBute fan and has always appreciated the cruelty that runs through much of his work. Mike Butler enjoys "Nurse Betty" because it almost feels like a response to that reputation, as if LaBute wanted to prove he could make something warm and sentimental too. Of course, this is still a movie filled with violence, obsession, and some remarkably dark humor, so the meanness never disappears completely.
Both Mikes particularly enjoy Morgan Freeman as the hitman pursuing Betty while gradually developing an unhealthy obsession with an idealized version of the woman he has never actually met. His relationship with Chris Rock's character also becomes one of the most entertaining parts of the film, culminating in a reveal that adds another layer to their already strange dynamic.
The biggest question comes from Betty herself and the way the film handles her state of mind. Her belief that she is actually a nurse from her favorite soap opera works when the movie stays inside her fantasy, but certain practical realities make that illusion harder to accept. When the audience is wondering if Betty has to do something as straightforward as buy a nurse's uniform from a costume shop, it becomes difficult not to wonder how her mind is processing what is actually happening around her.
Even with those questions, Butler especially comes away appreciating just how unique "Nurse Betty" feels. The film reaches for the highest peaks of bright, happy, almost saccharine storytelling while simultaneously embracing cruelty, violence, and darkness.
Those flavors sound like they should clash completely, but somehow, "Nurse Betty" makes them work remarkably well together.
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0:00 - Introduction
4:07 - Film Facts
12:05 - Film Discussion
32:11 - Reviews
37:33 - Who Would You Recommend This To?
42:23 - Why Is This Forgotten?
43:41 - Plugs
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