NAKED JANE

(director/writer: Linda Kandel; cinematographer: Yoski Hosoya; editor: Linda Kandel; music: Steve Gregoropoulos; cast: Renee Stahl (Jane Kruger), Tamar Reingewirtz (Laura), Christian Svensson (Matthew Lane), Stefan Walker (Sam Randall), Caveh Zahedi (Palm Reader), Catherine Chambert (Mother), Michelle Bronson (Denise); Runtime: 111; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Crocker Coulson; Pathfinder Pictures; 1995)
“Though it caught the depressive nature of the mod Hollywood dating scene for sensitive types, it never had much to say that wasn’t already old news.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

A pointless melodrama about 20-year-old aspiring writer Jane Kruger (Renee Stahl), who is living in Los Angeles without direction and with the help of her rich mom. Jane narrates her familiar tale of the struggling artist. We see her earning money for necessities as a typist for college students’ term papers. She also attends writing class; in her spare time, Jane writes her novel about someone like herself searching for a relationship. Jane does this still grieving the loss of her father, pampered by her concerned mom, and trying to live out a Hollywood lifestyle while going through relationships.

Most of the film is filled with an uninteresting relationship Jane has with stud painter Matthew (Christian Svensson), someone she met at a costume party where they were the only two without costumes. Jane’s first-love, a model from back east who looks like a movie star icon but has a flat personality, Sam (Stefan Walker), has gone on a European tour and she wrestles with how to tell him on his return that she doesn’t want to see him again.

The overlong film comes to the climax upon nice-guy Sam’s return and his heart to heart that he had a meaningless affair with a model, while she makes him jealous telling him about Matthew. Jane is a depressive who only gets more depressed when trying to dump Sam and figuring out if Matthew is for real. By the conclusion it’s understood that Matthew might be playing her, but he gives her some satisfaction in bed. That is something the handsome Sam couldn’t do.

Though it caught the depressive nature of the mod Hollywood dating scene for sensitive types, it never had much to say that wasn’t already old news.

REVIEWED ON 2/3/2005 GRADE: C