In the Cut

In the Cut centres on Frannie Avery, a New York writing professor who keeps largely to herself while researching street language and crime fiction. One night she witnesses a fleeting sexual encounter between a man and a woman in a bar, noticing only a tattoo on his wrist. Soon afterwards a woman is found murdered near her apartment, and Detective Giovanni Malloy, who is investigating the killing, comes to believe Frannie may know something. Despite her unease, and the growing doubt his demeanour and his tattoo stir in her, the two begin an affair that unfolds against the investigation and Frannie's mounting suspicion.

The film was directed by Jane Campion, who co-wrote the screenplay with Susanna Moore and Stavros Kazantzidis. It followed Holy Smoke in her filmography and was produced by Laurie Parker and Nicole Kidman. Meg Ryan plays Frannie, with Mark Ruffalo as Malloy, Jennifer Jason Leigh as her half-sister Pauline, and supporting turns from Nick Damici, Sharrieff Pugh and Heather Litteer. The production involved companies in the United States, Britain, France and Australia.

Made for about 12 million dollars, In the Cut took roughly 24 million worldwide, a modest return. On IMDb it holds a rating of 5.1 from 474 votes, while the critics' score stands slightly lower at 4.9 from 178 reviews, so audiences and critics rate it much alike. The film runs 119 minutes and blends drama, mystery, romance and thriller elements.