SHINING THROUGH
A film review by Sandy Grossmann
Copyright 1992 by Sandra J. Grossmann
Cast: Michael Douglas, Melanie Griffith, Liam Neeson, Joely Richardson, John Gielgud Screenplay: David Seltzer, based on Susan Isaacs' novel Director: David Seltzer Length: 2 hours 10 minutes
Let me put it this way. I didn't pay to see this film, and I had an enjoyable pre-film conversation with the person who sat next to me. Those were the highlights of the evening.
The film does have entertainment value, but probably not what Seltzer had in mind. Oh, it's stylish, all right, the look of the forties is well- produced, and occasional images remind you it's a big-screen movie. But the characters? the dialog? the *plot*? Who could've conceived of anything this stupid?
Melanie Griffith forgot to play a new character, but it doesn't matter. She plays the same Working Girl except her hairstyle is different and her name is Linda.
Her boss is Ed (Michael Douglas), who may or may not be a spy for the U.S. Oh, hell, of course he's a spy. And of course she falls in love with him. Anyway, once Pearl Harbor is attacked, he moves on to more important work while she is shunted into the typing pool until he returns, in full uniform, at which time Linda works for him again.
This time, though, Ed has a problem. One of his agents in Nazi Germany can't exactly work any longer. What is Ed to do? *Who* can replace this agent? Why, Linda has an idea. Since she speaks "perfect" low-class German (compliments of her Berliner grandparents), Linda suggests to Ed that she can infiltrate the very heart of Berlin's Nazi society by becoming a cook for a high-ranking Nazi officer so that she can photograph secret plans and smuggle the microfilm out of Nazi Germany. And Ed, a full colonel in the OSS, agrees that she's his best bet, so he makes the arrangements and off she goes. Wait. Did I mention she's "half Jewish?" (Her very words...) And did I tell you she only has a week or two to (a) infiltrate, (b) take advantage of an unguarded moment, (c) get the stuff, and (d) slip out of Germany before her papers will "expire"?
If you think the plot up to now sounds preposterous, well, you ain't seen nothin' yet. I won't go into all the details (I've already tortured you enough), but suffice it to say that the latter part of the movie makes the first part sound reasonable.
OK, so the plot's ridiculous. Movies are more than mere plots, though. How about the cinematography? It's very nice--good work by Jan de Bont. How about the sound? It's fine, nothing special, but fine. How about the acting? Uhm...
Michael Douglas actually does a nice job for more than half the movie, and it's really not his fault that his character is totally impossible and stupidly written. And John Gielgud is on-screen for no more than about four minutes total, so I doubt this will tarnish his reputation. Joely Richardson does a good job all the way through. Liam Neeson (who plays a high-ranking Nazi) does an OK-but-nothing-` special job. But Melanie Griffith sets new lows for mediocrity.
Aside from the fact that she has no feeling for the 40's style and conducts herself in a strictly modern fashion, she simply fails to convey emotion. Her voice is flat, her face is flat, and her delivery makes Clint Eastwood look like Olivier. Even worse, the film is told in flashbacks, and guess who narrates. Fortunately, some of the narration is so bad that the film accidentally becomes entertaining.
If ever a budding screenwriter wanted lessons on why flashback is a dangerous device, well, here's an instructive movie. Another lesson this film carries is that relying exclusively on mood and style is unprofitable. So this movie isn't a total waste: it teaches what not to do. The studios, though, will probably interpret the audience's lukewarm acceptance as a sign that no one is interested in period pieces, and it'll be that much harder for a good "retro" screenplay to get the go-ahead.
I recommend not seeing this film until it reaches video. It's instructive enough (and pretty enough) to warrant a rental, but it's not even worth matinee prices now.
Sandy Grossmann sandyg@sail.labs.tek.com
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