Friday, January 24, 1997
"Gridlock’d"
Directed by Vondie Curtis Hall
Starring Tupac Shakur, Tim Roth
Sometimes movies try to straddle more substance than they can
handle. They go for more than they can fit into a single movie, and
the result is a mess. Take, for instance, "Gridlock’d." It’s a
movie that struggles between social commentary on poor health care
and action/buddy film, but "Gridlock’d" does not successfully
portray either one.
Tim Roth and the late Tupac Shakur play aspiring musicians
Stretch and Spoon, who happen to be hard-core dope fiends. Shakur
and Roth decide to kick the habit after their mutual friend Cookie,
played by Thandie Newton, overdoses on heroin. But they find the
road to rehabilitation to be difficult when they fall prey to the
bureaucracy and red tape of social services. In addition to finding
a rehab center, Roth and Shakur find themselves fending off the
police and a couple of drug pushers.
First-time director and writer Vondie Curtis Hall juggles with a
slew of ideas that make "Gridlock’d" an ineffective movie. A scene
typifying the problems in the movie is when Shakur has to decide
where to stab himself so he can get into a rehab center. The
addition of violence to an otherwise serious film undermines the
film’s important issues. Hall switches from attacking the system to
having Stretch and Spoon attacked by others so often that the theme
of the movie never really sinks in.
As for the film’s performances, it’s eerie to see Shakur on
screen. But his performance as a sensible junkie looking out for
Roth’s character is surprisingly good. Shakur grew immensely as an
actor since his first film, "Juice." Roth, as the smart-ass white
guy, delivers most of the comedy relief when things get serious.
Roth and Shakur work out great as on-screen best friends but their
performances alone can’t carry the movie. The movie jumps around
too much to work. "Gridlock’d" suffers from a case of excessiveness
of plot, proving that less is more.
Grade: C
Trinh Bui
"In Love and War"
Directed by Richard Attenborough
Starring Chris O’Donnell, Sandra Bullock
It seems that all great love stories need three things: two
vivacious personalities, a turbulent background period (preferably
a war) and a sentimental ending.
This Friday’s release of the touching "In Love and War" has all
three of them. And the story does not come from an author’s fertile
imagination, but from the true account of writer Ernest Hemingway’s
love affair with his nurse, Agnes Von Kurowsky.
Based on the novel "Hemingway: In Love and War," by Hemingway’s
and Von Kurowsky’s mutual friend Henry Villard, the film takes
place during World War I, when 18-year-old Hemingway (O’Donnell) is
injured and sent to convalesce at a hospital in northern Italy. He
immediately falls in love with Von Kurowsky (Bullock), a
soft-spoken nurse whose gentle demeanor captures the hearts of her
homesick soldiers.
O’Donnell ("Scent of a Woman" and "Batman Forever") is charming
as the naive and adventurous "Ernie" Hemingway. His blue eyes gleam
with mischief as he intimidates his rivals for Von Kurowsky’s
affection and woos her with childish pranks.
Bullock, usually known for her charismatic parts in blockbusters
such as "While You Were Sleeping" and "Speed," turns in a
surprisingly low-key performance as the calm and reserved Von
Kurowsky. As the more mature half of the couple, Bullock is
endearing and admirable as the self-sacrificing nurse who will do
anything to save her patients.
Since most of the screen time is dedicated to letting these two
stars shine, there is little room for the supporting characters to
leave much of an impression. With the exception of an understated
Mackenzie Astin as Henry Villard, the rest of the cast serve merely
as sympathetic ears to the main characters’ troubles.
Die-hard romantics may be dissatisfied with the simplicity and
lack of melodramatic plot twists in the film. But O’Donnell and
Bullock work well together, accurately portraying two different
personalities who manage to fall in love. O’Donnell is especially
impressive during his character’s transformation in the film,
letting the audience understand how the events around Hemingway
turned him from a cocky, idealistic boy into a disillusioned,
world-weary man.
Although set during a world war, most of the drama and conflicts
in this movie take place inside the hearts of the characters. For
those who enjoy extensive character studies and quiet performances,
"In Love and War" will offer a welcome breath of fresh air in the
midst of all the action movies cluttering the theatres.
Grade: B+
Aimee Phan
"Prefontaine"
Directed by Steve James
Starring Jared Leto, Amy Locane
And … they’re off! In the race between Disney and Warner Bros.
to release films about long distance running legend Steve
Prefontaine, Disney has sprinted past its competitor with today’s
opening of "Prefontaine."
Disney will be the first to expose a wide audience to
Prefontaine’s intense life, untimely death and rock star-like
stardom in the running world. But Disney’s meagerly financed film
will not steal the thunder from Warner Bros. big-budgeted "Pre,"
due out this September.
But even with another Prefontaine exposé along the way,
"Prefontaine" makes for an interesting true story that breaks the
typical sports movie boundaries with its twist on the
underdog-beats-the-odds plot. This story is not about the loser who
eventually wins, but about the winner who learns how to lose.
Capturing and dramatizing the facts of Prefontaine’s life is
director Steve James. Responsible for the groundbreaking
documentary "Hoop Dreams," James makes "Prefontaine" his dramatic
feature debut. Tackling new territory, James blurs the lines
between actual events and fictional depictions with real footage of
Prefontaine’s races smoothly slipped between dramatic scenes.
Using pieces of Prefontaine’s filmed track meets works well in
the context of "Prefontaine," but James’ decision to add fabricated
interviews with the actors playing older versions of their
characters is a bit much. Using these acted interviews gives the
impression that James is insecure about his ability to tell a story
without using a narrator to dictate events as they happen, as in a
documentary.
But James is not an inept dramatic director. He pulls an
impressive performance from Jared Leto (from television’s highly
popular but short-lived "My So Called Life") as Prefontaine. Leto
uses his tense and brooding blue eyes to let the desperate
determination of his character show through an other-wise cool and
cocky exterior.
But actress Amy Locane ("School Ties," "Airheads"), who cannot
seem to get past petty girlfriend roles, gives little more than
bland line delivery. The same goes for the rest of the cast,
including "Married … with Children’s" Ed O’Neill. Though not
usually recognized for his talent, O’Neill is an accomplished actor
whose theatrical credits include "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest"
and "Of Mice and Men." But no one will be able to detect his acting
skill by watching his simplistic performance in "Prefontaine."
Basically, Disney won the race but lost the war by rushing to
beat Warner Bros. to the punch with their version of the
Prefontaine story. The film is unpolished, both roughly acted and
crudely filmed. But the story of Prefontaine makes for fascinating
cinematic material and, despite the film’s short-comings, provides
an interesting look into the heart of a talented athlete. But if
you’re looking to save a few bucks, wait until September for a
version that will likely be better.
Grade: C+
Emily Forster