Well, I
would be no kind of cinema lover if the (newly) late Tony Scott didn’t get a
mention in the blog sometime soon now would I? Think what you will personally
of Tony Scott, the man was one of the greats. He is one of those rare gems who
can actually walk the thin line between art pieces and popular cinema (I think
we’re all in agreement that these are two totally different things, right?
Right. ). Now, for some, this means that Tony Scott’s films were neither one
thing nor the other, making him sort of a Jack of all trades / master of none kinda guy. I think those who
support that idea need to think twice about that statement. If you’re a
creative person, it is hard enough, on some level, to constrain yourself to the
“rules” of classical filmmaking (Oh come on, you DO know what I mean). But then
again if you adhere too closely, chances are you’re going to be able to pay
your rent and all that but just fade away as a filmmaker. It is notoriously
hard to show originality without going off on a tangent. It is, as I said a
very fine line. And Tony Scott, God rest his soul, was an artist and an
entertainer who was able to revolutionize classic genres (notably the action
film) AND create perfect art pieces at the same time. I strongly feel that this film was one of his
best, so here it is.
Our story
starts in New Orleans, when a ferry carrying the crew and families of a navy
vessel is blown up. Among the first on the scene, is BATF agent Doug Carlin
(Denzel Washington) is among the first on the scene. But if you thought all that can be done at
that point is piece together the clues left behind to catch the culprits, you
are mistaken. There may actually be a way to save them. Carlin learns this when
he becomes attached to an as yet experimental FBI unit. The methods they use
are dangerous and even the most brilliant scientists are unsure as to the full
capacities of their machinery but the lives of hundreds are at stake. And among
those hundreds is the woman Doug has fallen in love with. Without ever having
met her… I would like to close my summary with the film’s tagline, which I find
particularly poignant: “If you thought it was just a trick of the mind, prepare
yourself for the truth”…
And if at
this point, you’re going “Oh, so what, they’ve invented time travel” err, no.
It’s a tad more complicated than that. What the heck do I mean by that? You’re
simply going to have to watch the film and find out. First of all, respect for Tony Scott. In the first place, the film is a class A action film. All the
ingredients are there, charismatic hero, wild chase sequences, the
pyrotechnics, special effects… Every box ticked. Then, there’s the sci-fi part
of it. Now, like I said, it’s not just about sending agents back in time
“Terminator” style. It’s more complicated than that. And Scott does NOT just
gloss over the explanation. He actually explains it. I mean, we watched the
film as a group, there were moments (more than one – and we’re all postgraduate
students by the way) where serious explanations to the question of “what just
happened??” were necessary. So it’s a genuine, serious and intelligent sci-fi
movie too. And on top of that of course, there is the romantic angle. And I
mean, first of all , come on peeps, it’s love. That’s NEVER a cliché. Secondly,
Denzel Washington and Paula Patton (who you may remember from such films as
Ghost Protocol and Precious amongst other things) are spot on with the chemistry.
For one minute I want you to now stop and think about how hard it is to take
three almost completely unrelated genres (not two, three. Two might work – it
usually does. Three is where it gets complicated) and mix them in such a way
that the result is smooth, classy and nail-bitingly, arm-of-the-chair
grippingly exciting. Just “sticking them together” simply does not work out. You
have to watch this one to know what I mean.
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