rakontur

2/1/2001

Bob (Mr. Redford to the rest of you) Says: See My Movies

Five of the best films from Sundance 2001 are coming to a theater near you

By Steve Ramos

Raw Deal (Artisan, Summer 2001)

The use of a controversial frat house videotape brings a jolt of uncomfortable realism to Raw Deal: A Question of Consent, a documentary about an accused rape at the University of Florida. Director Billy Corben and producer Alfred Spellman use the film’s threadbare budget and matter-of-fact storytelling to their advantage. Raw Deal unfolds its crime story with all the intensity of a courtroom drama. Its sexually graphic footage is often hard to watch. But Raw Deal’s gripping account of events leaves one in suspense until the film’s final scene.