Friday, 4/25/97 SCREENSCENE
"Traveller" Directed by Jack Green Starring Bill Paxton, Mark
Wahlberg No one knows much about the Travellers, a group of
Anglo-Saxon gypsies that wander around the rural South and con
innocent people out of their hard-earned money. The film
"Traveller" attempts to take the audience into their mysterious
world and convince moviegoers that these swindlers are actually
just nice guys with kooky personalities and hearts of gold. They
just happen to steal from others. When a young man (Wahlberg,
better known as Marky Mark of Calvin Klein underwear fame and star
of the thriller "Fear") brings his father back to the Travellers to
be buried, he is eager to become a member of the close-knit family
to which his father once belonged and learn the ways of cheating
and manipulating. Since his mother was an outsider, he is alienated
by the clan, but fellow Traveller Bokky (Paxton of "Twister") feels
sorry for the boy and takes him under his wing to teach him the
finer points of lying and swindling. The two charming hustlers are
doing just fine until Bokky meets and immediately falls for a
young, single mother (Margulies, "ER") during one of their routine
con jobs. Director Jack Green, a seasoned cinematographer for Clint
Eastwood’s movies as well as other successful films like "Twister,"
does just fine in his directorial debut, but the film’s appeal lies
not in the direction, but the actors who bring their characters to
life with realistic personality quirks. In the central role, Paxton
is charming as the experienced hustler whose normally smooth and
polished demeanor is challenged when he genuinely falls for
Margulies’s character. His camaraderie with Wahlberg’s character is
also very convincing, with Wahlberg turning in a very understated
performance as a naive boy who is determined to learn how to cheat
and steal as well as his mentor. But the film’s fatal flaw that
prevents it from being a truly watchable, must-see movie, is a lack
of both an interesting plot and deeper character development. A lot
of questions surrounding characters’ motives are left unanswered,
leaving many holes in the story when the final credits roll. And
any promise to look deeper into the lifestyles of the Travellers is
left unfulfilled in favor of focusing on a single con job gone
desperately awry. This film may be called "Traveller," but anyone
who wishes to know more about these swindling gypsies better look
elsewhere. Aimee Phan Grade: B- "The Designated Mourner" Directed
by David Hare Starring Mike Nichols and Miranda Richardson A movie
centered around three talking heads does not seem too exciting. But
with no action, no main plot and heavy dialogue, "The Designated
Mourner" manages to be a fascinating film. Particularly for those
who appreciate anti-establishment-centered stories, the film is an
artistic exploration of an imaginary world where artists and
scholars are the enemies of the populace. Told through a series of
anecdotes unfolded by three distinctive and well-rounded
characters, "The Designated Mourner" is like a set of
interconnected stories told by real people with ravaged pasts.
Originally a play, its characters are unusually concentrated and
densely portrayed, a rarity in the film world. Playing the lead
role is Mike Nichols, a director who has had only one other acting
role, in the disturbing "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Having
directed some of the most influential films of our times including
"The Graduate," "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and more recently
"The Birdcage," Nichols shows that he truly understands the craft
of acting. He plays the disenchanted character of Jack in such a
way that the intensely charismatic storytelling frees both his
disillusioned attitudes toward modern culture and his unflagging
fascination with himself. The action-less movie holds much of its
drama in Jack’s open, honest tales, especially the ironic twists he
slips in with a wry grin and a dark sigh. Right by Jack’s side is
his partner Judy, played by Oscar-nominated Miranda Richardson
("Damage," "Terms of Endearment"). As Jack’s wife and the daughter
of a great intellectual, she lives in an ivory tower until her
highly-cultured life comes crashing down with society’s rejection
of all that’s scholarly and learned. Richardson, like Nichols, has
the gift for scripted gab and she provides the audience with some
charismatic storytelling that, while not as engaging as Nichols’s,
makes her character realistic and oddly familiar. Written by actor
and playwright Wallace Shawn, who has appeared in such
groundbreaking films as "My Dinner with Andre," "Vanya on 42nd
Street" and several Woody Allen pictures, the film is gutsy and
defiantly simple in its format. With just three actors retelling
their pasts, the dialogue has to be magnificent to keep the film
interesting. Unfortunately there are some slow parts and sticky
points where the film’s avant-guard style interferes with its
underlying themes. But for a movie experience that guarantees to
broaden minds with its unique themes, "The Designated Mourner" is
the perfect film. Emily Forster Grade: A- "Volcano" Directed by
Mick Jackson Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Anne Heche As a B-movie
armed with state-of-the-art special effects, "Volcano" continues
the natural disaster genre films that have bombarded movie-goers
this year. In this version of "man versus nature" movie, Jones is
city employee Mike Roark, a job-oriented man haunted by his regret
for neglecting his family. Still playing the relentless pursuer,
Tommy Lee Jones ("The Fugitive," "Batman Forever") is determined to
save West Los Angeles from the unstoppable belching of a developing
volcano. Aiding in his cause is the hard-nosed Dr. Barnes (Anne
Hiche), geologist and Jones’s romantic interest. Together they fend
off a surprisingly feisty lava flow that provides a lot of drama,
thanks to director Mick Jackson. Turning an usually mundane lava
flow into a raging force of nature, Jackson ("L.A. Story") makes
this next installment in the series of volcano films an exciting
one. The special effects add an extra punch to the volcano scenes.
And Jackson uses ingenious camera angles and lighting during some
volcano shots to create a suspenseful atmosphere. From the
beginning, "Volcano" sets itself up as an action-packed,
fast-moving story that works well. But Jackson decides to throw in
awkward melodramatic scenes surrounding macho sacrifices and social
strife. It seems like every actor that wasn’t marked to die
accomplished incredible deeds of valor beyond belief. One aspect of
the plot in particular shatters the over-acting barrier. Jones and
Heche’s limp love story stalls the film every time it comes up. But
while Jones is stiff at parts, especially with Heche, he flies
through the movie at a 100 miles an hour when solving dilemma after
dilemma. Jones plays an emergency maintenance man facing impossible
odds with an ease that explains his Oscar nomination for "The
Fugitive." But his acting abilities alone cannot carry the film.
"Volcano" would have stood still without the comic relief provided
by Don Cheadle ("Devil in a Blue Dress"). Cheadle’s quips and witty
remarks balanced out the poorly-scripted emotional scenes.
"Volcano" suffers from overcompensation. It adds subplots and
random issues that slow the film down rather than add depth. The
movie works well when it sticks with the catastrophe theme, but it
suffers when straying outside its disaster element. A popcorn movie
that’s heavy on visual qualities and light on substances, "Volcano"
offers instant satisfaction but its impact will soon be blurred
along with other action flicks. Trinh Bui Grade: B VOLCANO: The
latest installment in natural disaster films heats up Wilshire
Boulevard, but not much else.