Friday, February 21, 1997
"Blood & Wine"
Directed by Bob Rafelson
Starring Jack Nicholson, Stephen Dorff
Director Bob Rafelson has billed his newest film as the
concluding chapter of his dysfunctional family trilogy, which
started with "Five Easy Pieces" and continued with "The King of
Marvin Gardens." While the previous two are regarded as classics
that helped to establish the celebrity of Jack Nicholson (along
with his turn in "Easy Rider"), Rafelson and Nicholson’s latest
re-teaming not only fails to live up to their earlier glory, it
shows how far both director and actor have fallen from the mark hit
in their youth.
Fancying itself a character study/family drama and a Fargo-esque
botched crime flick, "Blood & Wine" is a tiresome affair too
trite to be good drama and too flaccid to be a thriller. Nicholson
plays Alex Gates, a wine dealer in a troubled marriage (to a
criminally wasted Judy Davis), a moody stepson (Stephen Dorff), and
a sexy young mistress (Jennifer Lopez). Gates is a man living
beyond his means and, to rectify his ailing finances, he conspires
with an ailing burglary veteran (Michael Caine) to rip off one of
his more well-to-do clients.
But there’s a hitch: Alex’s screwed-up home life collides with
his business, and, before long, he finds himself chasing after his
wife and stepson, not so much to patch things up with them, but to
get back the loot they unwittingly stole while making a break for
it.
Thankfully Nicholson doesn’t get to rely upon his
eyebrows-and-tantrum schtick too much, but the script is so stale
and unengaging that it hardly matters. Seeming to take an eternity
to reach a conclusion, the showdown between Nicholson and Dorff is
protracted and ludicrous.
Rafelson may liken this film to his early ’70s hits, but it has
a lot more in common with "Man Trouble," the failed, inane 1992
comedy with Nicholson as a dog trainer trying to woo Ellen Barkin.
Somehow, "Man Trouble" isn’t mentioned in the press notes on
Nicholson and Rafelson’s past collaborations. And in a few years,
"Blood & Wine" may be elided from their records as well.
Brandon Wilson
Grade: D
"Rosewood"
Directed by John Singleton
Starring Ving Rhames, Jon Voight
In 1923, the prospering African-American town of Rosewood was
burned to the ground due to the false accusations of a white woman
from a neighboring town. This true story brings with it a great
deal of potential to make a truly meaningful and memorable film.
Unfortunately, director John Singleton’s account of the events in
Rosewood, in his new film by the same name, are not original or
mature enough to make the most out of the film’s dynamic
premise.
"Rosewood" opens with the arrival of a stranger. A mysterious
drifter, known only as Mr. Man (Ving Rhames), wants to settle down
in the peaceful middle-class town. While Singleton is setting up
his story in the first hour of the film, "Rosewood" succeeds in
presenting many important issues about race and tolerance.
Singleton illustrates conflicts between white and African-American
characters and allows his audience to form their own ideas about
what the problems are in Rosewood and how they could best be
remedied.
Once the plot begins to unfold, however, "Rosewood" loses much
of this forcefulness. A white woman from a neighboring town, who is
ashamed of cheating on her husband, blames injuries sustained from
an adulterer on an unnamed African-American man from Rosewood. The
result is a surprisingly formulaic "cracker" response, in which all
the white folks get drunk and riled up and start making nooses.
These same images are rehashed a thousand times in "Rosewood,"
and all the clichés of the era are here, from the father
teaching his child how to hate to the Ku Klux Klan marching in
their white robes and trying to look menacing. This is not to say
there is no feeling behind these images, but this story could have
been much more than a typical Hollywood "racism" movie, like "A
Time To Kill" or "Ghosts of Mississippi."
Singleton concludes "Rosewood" on the same note that pervades
its second act. "Rosewood’s" final 30 minutes attempts to wrap the
story up into a neat package, instead of facing the reality that
hundreds of innocent lives were destroyed and that there are no
real solutions. The ending almost borders on farcical, as the
predictable story winds down to an even more predictable
denouement.
"Rosewood" is certainly not a horrible movie. The fault of the
film lies within its conviction that modern audiences need to be
told who the "good guys" are and why characters act a certain way.
Instead of dealing head-on with the realities of racism, "Rosewood"
takes the easy way out and provides prototypical heroes and
villains to teach a nice moral.
Lonnie Harris
Grade: C
"Absolute Power"
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Starring Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman
If there ever was a filmmaker blessed with the golden touch for
success and longevity, it would be Clint Eastwood, which is why it
is so surprising that his latest project is a collection of missed
opportunities. The actor and director wanted "Absolute Power" to be
an intelligent political thriller, and also a poignant drama about
family estrangement and reconciliation. The film isn’t effective
either way.
Eastwood plays Luther Whitney, a professional thief who is so
meticulous that he is able to crack the security system of a
mansion owned by one of the richest men in Washington D.C., Walter
Sullivan (E.G. Marshall). While he is burglarizing the walk-in
safe, however, he becomes an inadvertent witness to a murder
involving Sullivan’s pretty young wife, two Secret Service agents,
and the President of the United States (played by the omnipresent
Gene Hackman). Seconds after the murder, Chief of Staff Gloria
Russell (Judy Davis) happens across the crime scene and orders an
immediate cover-up. Sensing a moral obligation, but not quite sure
yet of his course of action, Whitney flees.
Obviously, the plot is not terribly original, but Eastwood’s
sure-footed direction, combined with the performers he was able to
bring together, should have redeemed the film’s familiar territory.
Eastwood, Hackman and Harris are such dependable screen presences,
one would think the three of them together should be able to save
almost any movie.
Well, think again.
The film’s main downfall is the weak plot. Eastwood, a director
usually known for his clear-cut, effective filmmaking style,
attempts here to shape a clumsy script into a coherent political
suspense thriller. But the script, from veteran screenwriter
William Goldman, is disappointingly long on coincidences and short
on intelligence.
The annoying, yet oh-so-conveniently plotted script affects
performances in the film as well  particularly Davis. The
actress looks and dresses like a powerful politician, yet her lines
are too unrefined for the Chief of Staff. While her yelling and
cursing make for some tense moments, it gets tiring and
unbelievable.
Hackman on the other hand, is very believable, but he isn’t
given nearly enough screen time. When he occupies the frame, he
gives "Absolute Power" breaths of fresh air. He plays a
one-dimensional character to be sure, but it’s fun to watch.
The reality is that when filming a movie about professional
people, they should act like they are in the profession. "Absolute
Power" features an ensemble cast of villains and officials who are
so nasty or dense that we know good-old Eastwood will outsmart them
all.
Ash Steffy
Grade: B