His antics entertain, but they aren't enough to keep audiences interested in his sketchy character and the prosaic, implausible plot by De Palma and screenwriter David Koepp ("Jurassic Park").Īmong those witnessing the event are Santoro's best friend (Gary Sinise), a dour naval officer in charge of the secretary's security a mercurial heavyweight champ (Stan Shaw) a buxom redhead at ringside and a stunning whistleblower (Carla Gugino) who works for a defense contractor. A man of many vices, Santoro must redeem his virtues while investigating the shooting. He feels entitled to the bribes he collects from the hookers, hustlers and other lowlifes who work the casinos. In a shiny suit and a Don Ho shirt, he makes the most of the fast-talking, cheerfully unrepentant Santoro. Unfortunately, the humans are undermined by the technology of storytelling with which De Palma remains obsessed.īasically De Palma blows his wad on a continuous, 20-minute opening that takes in everything from the hurricane gusting outside the gambling establishment to the crime scene unfolding within.Īfter this dazzling demonstration of the filmmaker's virtuosity, Cage is the only show in town. In addition to the tapes, Santoro makes use of the casino's extensive surveillance system and manpower to track down a pair of eyewitnesses to the shooting of the secretary of defense who are hiding somewhere in the building. Here, the high-profile murder, which takes place during a championship fight, is caught by several of the arena's cameras. Like that 1981 thriller, this yarn centers on a politically motivated killing and the protagonist's attempt to determine whodunit by reviewing recorded evidence. He's virtually lifted a couple of Hitchcock's movies and Antonioni's "Blowup," and since Coppola's "The Conversation" was a source for "Blow Out," hail, hail, the gang's all here. The technique was pioneered in "Rashomon" by Akira Kurosawa, one of the many directors who have influenced De Palma's narrative style. But it most resembles the director's "Blow Out," which similarly deconstructs the events that lead up to a fictional shooting from multiple points of view. As an unrepentant cop on the take, Cage's Rick Santoro finds himself in a quagmire of false leads and untruths when a limelight-loving politico is plugged on his turf.Ĭorruption, conspiracy and just plain paranoia are among the movie's many themes, which can be said of just about any film De Palma ever made. Nicolas Cage, who sported wings as a somber seraphim in this spring's "City of Angels," returns to more devilish pursuits in Brian De Palma's "Snake Eyes." A glittery but dunderheaded murder mystery set in Atlantic City's Trump Taj Mahal, the movie gives both of these high-rollers a chance to strut and preen.Ĭage, swaggering like a pimp and spitting out quips with maniacal glee, plays to the rafters. Nicolas Cage is over the top but under control as the Atlantic City police officer in "Snake Eyes."
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |