Plotwise, there isn't much, except that Lenny has an unrestrained obsession with his former girlfriend Faith (Juliette Lewis, at her most spacey and unappealing), which causes him to be repeatedly beaten up by the bodyguards of her current boyfriend, high-rolling record-producer Philo Gant (Michael Wincott). Lenny also recruits his best friends, Max (Tom Size-more), a down-on-his-luck private eye, and Mace (Angela Bas-sett), a security guard/limo driver who is surprisingly adept at kung fu, to help him solve the mystery.

One odd element is that strong, got-it-together Mace is in love with Lenny-the-loser, and though this is obvious to the audience very early on, Lenny doesn't tip to it until the final reel.

This is just one of many plot points that are rather muddled, another being Lenny's fascination with Faith, which is never believable — not for a single moment do we believe he could be so hung up on this woman.

The real mystery here is how a movie that is 21/2 hours long could be so jumbled in its narrative and have so many underdeveloped characters.

Aside from Lewis, the cast is acceptable, but Bassett, who also gave a knockout performance (and was Oscar-nominated) as Tina Turner in "What's Love Got to Do With It," is the only performer who stands out. She brings a richness, a compassion, a strength of character to the role that raises it several levels above the movie itself.

As with her earlier films, director Bigelow concentrates on visual imagery (which in this case owes a great deal to "Blade Runner") at the expense of story development. Some of the images are initially rather dazzling, but the film gradually becomes redundant and boring as it beats the audience over the head with its technical proficiency.

The message — that voyeurism in our entertainment-rabid society is making us numb — is so heavy-handed, and the film itself is so numbing, that any serious intent is bound to be lost on young people who embrace the film.

Most appalling, however, is the film's concentration on violence, particularly the rape scenes. If Bigelow's aim is to prove she can be as disgusting in her cinematic treatment of women as are so many male directors, she has achieved her goal.

And why does excessive nudity in a movie like "Showgirls" warrant an NC-17 rating, while more seriously disturbing material, such as graphic rape scenes and other disgusting forms of violence, continue to be rated R?

"Strange Days" is rated R for violence, rape, sex, nudity, profanity and vulgarity.