Thursday, January 17, 2008

Actually, this doesn't seem familiar at all: "Deja Vu"

Astute readers know how I feel about Tony Scott. That is, not good. Yes, there's the legendary "Top Gun," as well as decent fare such as "Crimson Tide" and "Enemy of the State." Heck, I didn't think "Spy Game" was that bad, and, well, I may the only person who enjoys -- nay, thoroughly enjoys -- "The Last Boy Scout."

Sounds like an endorsement, I know. Then came the one-two gut punch of "Man on Fire" and "Domino," which were overly muddled messes that made me regard Ridley's little brother as a less-than-skilled helmsman. And let us now forget the overrated "True Romance" and laughable "Days of Thunder." Watch that last one just for Cruise's late '80s wardrobe and hair. Awesome.

So it was with trepidation that I gave Tony's latest turn a shot. "Deja Vu" follows an ATF agent (Denzel "Carbon Copy" Washington) as he investigates a terrorist attack on a New Orleans ferry. The case gets a little weird when a body turns up that doesn't quite fit. Then it gets a lot weird when the FBI shows Denzel a new program that provides some unique surveillance. (Is that how that's spelled? Hell, I don't care.) I don't want to ruin the surprise, but let's say it wreaks havoc on that whole "Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it" motto.

In all, it's kind of a strange movie. Things start off with a bang, I admit to being sucked in right away to what seemed to be a police story. Then we take a sudden sci-fi turn, but without that many doo-dads or any rayguns. It was odd, to say the least, to have this "wrap your mind around this" stuff going on in a modern-day setting -- in post-Katrina New Orleans, no less.

But as you may know, I've got a weakness for sci-fi and a bigger one for time travel. Yes, I'm the guy who has seen "TimeCop" with Jean-Claude Van Damme at least three times and would kill for a DVD of "Timerider" starring Fred Ward. (Don't even get me started on "Time Bandits" and "12 Monkeys.") Not saying I'd pull an Uncle Rico and stick some doohickey I bought off the Internet between my legs so I could go back and win the big game. But yeah, I dig the tales of people popping up when they shouldn't be there.

Another plus: good casting. Val Kilmer is a relatively straitlaced FBI agent who still gets off some subtle one-liners. Adam Goldberg is the goofy tech guy. Jim Caviezel is a not-too-stable citizen. Paula Patton -- whom I'd never seen before but apparently was in "Hitch" -- is a key player who we end up seeing plenty of despite first meeting her as a corpse.

All these folks deliver decent performances, and Denzel isn't bad, either. A little bit of scenery-chewing, sure, and this role isn't demonstrably different from a few others. ("Inside Man," "Out of Time," "The Siege" and so on.) But hey, it's a good role for him, and clearly he likes working with Mr. Scott.

So yeah, I'm as surprised as you are. True, there are some plot holes in "Deja Vu," and the whole movie requires a healthy suspension of logic. But it's different than most movies while still being accessible. Plus, it got me thinking what I'd do if I could go back in time. Maybe ask out Erika Lubkowitz in high school. Because, you know, one more rejection by a good looking girl definitely would have changed my whole life.

5 Comments:

At 12:04 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Olathe ford vanity plate on the ambulance is the only reason I remember that movie. All the news stations were making a big deal of it at the time.

 
At 12:19 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah, I noticed that, too. I'm watching the DVD and suddenly, "What the ... " and I back it up. Yep. Bizarre.

 
At 12:24 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Speaking of KC area film references, I recommend "The Lookout." I was surprised to see that it was set in Kansas City, since none of the reviews I'd read had mentioned that ... maybe because it was actually filmed in Winnipeg. No time travel, but still a pretty good indy film.

 
At 12:31 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Watched 1983's "The Day After" last night on SciFi. There's nothing like a movie that gives support to the -nothing but farmland and hicks in Kansas- stereotype. It's no "Red Dawn" but I hope those Russian bastards got what they deserved.

 
At 8:42 PM, Blogger Jefferson said...

Ah, "The Day After, featuring none other than Terry George as a body in Allen Fieldhouse ...

 

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