Pretty Persuasion

Product Description Kimberly Joyce (Evan Rachel Wood) is an insanely intelligent, wildly funny, shockingly cruel and sexy-beyond-her-years Beverly Hills teenager who will stop at nothing to become famous, including accusingher drama teacher (Ron Livingston) of sexual harrassment. Believing the world is an orchestra and she is the conductor, Kimberly masterfully manipulates all those around her. She convinces her two best friends to join her in a campaign against their befuddled teacher. Kimberly entangles the entire Beverly Hills community in her carefully woven web of seduction and deceit in this clever comedy. Amazon.com Unsettling but frequently funny, Pretty Persuasion stars Evan Rachel Wood as a 15-year-old with a talent for manipulation that could easily rival the most corrupt characters in Dangerous Liaisons. Wood plays Kimberly, an aspiring actress and student at an exclusive high school. Her best friend, Brittany (Elisabeth Harnois), has made off with Kimberly's boyfriend and been awarded the coveted lead role of Anne Frank in a school production--a part that was originally offered to Kimberly, but then withdrawn by authorities. Meanwhile, life at home is no picnic: Kimberly's father (James Woods) is a babbling anti-Semite, and her estranged mom calls infrequently. There's a lot of time for the teen to conjure elaborate revenge schemes, one of which catches a teacher (Ron Livingston) and naive Muslim girl (Adi Schnall) in a sexual harrassment trial. The sharp cast (including an excellent Jane Krakowski as a corrupt, televison news reporter) and director Marcos Siega's arch tone are the best things about the film, which veers successfully between loopy comedy and dark, psychological drama. Skander Halim's literate script finds intelligent purpose even in the most banal situations. --Tom Keogh