Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, October 30, 1993                   TAG: 9311010053
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: B7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO Correspondent
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

'BOXING HELENA' IS NOT CLASSIC, BUT IT'S A GOOD EFFORT BY LYNCH

If writer/director Jennifer Lynch weren't cult favorite David Lynch's daughter, and if Kim Basinger hadn't backed out of an agreement to star in the film, and if the MPAA Ratings Board hadn't gone into one if its periodic dithers over the sexual content, the movie might have been a sleeper. But within all that hype, a credible debut has been lost.

In publicizing the film, Jennifer Lynch - a dead ringer for a young Annie Dillard - makes some broad but not unreasonable claims about her artistic integrity. The film itself is a black comedy about sexual conflict, dismemberment and power that has been attacked by some women's groups. That's unfair. Virtually all of the violence takes place off-camera and the charges of misogyny just won't wash.

The story's simple. Dr. Nick Cavanaugh (Julian Sands) is obsessed with the beautiful and mercurial Helena (Sherilyn Fenn). It's obvious - too obvious - from the beginning that the basis of his desire is Oedipal, but he still can't control it. His memories of his mother, combined with his one unsatisfactory night with Helena, have taken over his life. His other relationships are a mess and he's become a voyeur.

For her part, Helena seems to delight in tormenting him - or is she simply so self-absorbed that she doesn't realize what's going on? When fate - or something - brings Helena to his isolated mansion, Dr. Nick makes the best of it, even if he has to resort to the most drastic measures to make her stay.

Lynch's contention that her story is a metaphor for love has some validity, but it's not very important either. As the loopy ending proves, the movie is a modest, sexy thriller that gets the most out of a limited budget. The stars handle the unusual material comfortably. Both have appeared in serious work and exploitative films. This one is well within their range.

Overall, Lynch does a good job of establishing a surreal, dreamlike mood and then telling her kinky little story with a strong undercurrent of humor. No, "Boxing Helena" isn't another "Citizen Kane," but it's a solid beginning. It'll be interesting to see what Lynch does next.

\ Boxing Helena: **1/2 stars. An Orion Classics release playing at the Grandin Theater. Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, language, mild violence.