EXCESS BAGGAGE 1997
A film review by Timothy Voon
Copyright 1997 Timothy Voon
3 :-( :-( :-( for a lug of heavy baggage
Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Benicio Del Toro, Christopher Walken, Jack Thompson, Harry Connick Jr., Nicholas Turturro, Michael Bowen Director: Marco Brambilla Screenplay: Max D. Adams and Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais
Ever gone on a holiday and suddenly realised that you took only enough underwear for three days, but you really needed a weeks worth. Fortunately most holiday retreats have a customer laundry and shops for the accidental tourist with missing underwear in action. However, in a movie like EXCESS BAGGAGE where do you turn when the most important contents, like underwear, suddenly go missing? Missing elements like passionate romance, witty dialogue, suspenseful action or light hearted comedy? Surely there must be something worth wearing in this Alicia Silverstone package. I remain sadly silent. It's like I suddenly woke up one morning and discovered the world was naked, and I was the only one wearing clothes and when I took my clothes off, there was nothing to see underneath.
Like most young men who first saw Ms Silverstone in her starring role as "Cher" in CLUELESS, I soon fell in love with her lips and the rest of her body. I know sadly admit that the grand delusion of puppy love is finally shattered by a ton of excess baggage. The basis of the story is not too uncommon as wealthy rich girl tries to get attention from Papa by staging her own kidnapping. She has nothing to complain about except for the fact that her father has not given her the attention she needed as a child, but then neither has half the human race. So I do not sympathise entirely with her situation. However, this is not the problem. The problem like most bad movies, is what you actually decide to do with the material.
With romantic comedies, I'm not sure whether it is more difficult to generate romance or comedy. Having both is like striking gold. Unfortunately the romance factor in this movie doesn't take off at all. It becomes hard to believe that this poor little rich girl falls in love with a scruffy car thief who accident steals the car with her in the boot. I haven't seen Mr Benicio Del Toro (car thief) act before, but I think "subzero personality" best describes his character. He carries that dark fazed look of a drug junky, and mumbles his lines with the slurred, droll manner of a stoned alcoholic. My question is - is it all an act or is it really him? If so, is this the sort of character that attracts girls nowadays? The only reason I'm asking is because this movie wants us to get all warm and fuzzy when he breathes down Ms Silverstones neck after downing a bottle of Jack Daniels; and Ms Silverstone's character isn't much better.
As for the comedy, I don't remember laughing once or hearing anybody else laugh for that matter. The saddest factor is that Ms Silverstone is out of her prime material. Gone is that innocent sweet girl that stole the hearts of a generation of men. So perhaps it will take another movie, or several more, before I fall in love again.
Timothy Voon e-mail: stirling@netlink.com.au
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