"Reindeer Games" - HoHoHum by Homer Yen (c) 2000
Since this film's setting takes place during the season of giving, I feel compelled to give at least one compliment. I like Ben Affleck, who plays an amiable anti-hero that gets himself caught up in a case of mistaken identity. But would I be a scrooge for saying that the film itself has the unenviable feeling of being caught under the mistletoe with the dogfaced Gary Senise?
"Reindeer Games" is a film that has the intention of being a not-so-ordinary action film. It tries to be hip. Case in point: the beginning scene starts off with the camera showing several dead men in Santa suits and then in the next scene displays the words "Six Days Ago," bringing us back to when the story begins. It tries to add some spice to its characters. Case in point: a henchman philosophizes about the economic advantage of adding another Christmas holiday to bolster retail sales (not a good idea if it means more movies like this). It also tries to be unpredictable. Case in point: there are plot twists galore.
But "Reindeer Games" is only sophisticated enough to gather these elements together. There they are, just sitting there. And like oil and water, they never seem to be able to mix. What a shame, because in the hands of a more talented group, this could have been a really fun movie.
Ben Affleck plays Rudy, a small-time car thief who is about to be released from jail. The first thing that he wants to do with his freedom is to get a cup of Hot Chocolate and a slice of Pecan Pie. His cellmate, Nick (James Frain) will also be released on the same day. Over the last few months, Nick has been receiving love letters from a mysterious woman named Ashley (Charlize Theron). Nick has never met this woman. She's a pen pal who learned of Nick through one of those prison magazine personals. Nick's wall is plastered with pictures of Ashley, who is quite adorable. And he reads her letters to Rudy, who is moved by her prose. Nick, unfortunately, falls victim in a prison fight and when Rudy is released and sees her waiting outside, Rudy assumes Nick's place. "Don't do it, Rudy," he says to himself. But how much of a conscience does a thief really have?
Although things seem blissful at first, she is a woman who can only draw you into trouble. Ashley is connected with a group of gun-running truckers. Led by the sinister-looking Gabriel, (perpetually scowling Gary Senise), he has read Nick's letters and knows that he was a security guard of an Indian-run casino and that he is familiar with their safeguards. Of course, Affleck-as-Nick couldn't tell you where the bathrooms are, but to avoid being killed, he goes along with the charade as best as he can. Ashley weeps, "I've finally found a boy that I'm crazy about, and my brother wants him worse than me." I'm weeping too because despite Affleck's affability and potentially interesting material, "Reindeer Games" doesn't amount to much more than a conventional action film. Been there, done that, seen it all.
Though I shouldn't do this, I think about all of the opportunities squandered. One of the main points of the movie is that Affleck-as-Nick has no clue about security at a casino. Can you imagine him bumbling his way around trying to case the place out without arousing the suspicion? We also learn that none of the truckers have ever committed robbery before. Here is a golden comedic opportunity that may take place of the senseless yet inevitable bloodbath at the film's conclusion. You may remember that in my review of the "Whole Nine Yards," I had said that this gangster film is a comedy that would have been better off as a drama. "Reindeer Games" is just the opposite. It tries to be a hip action film, but would probably be better off as a psuedo-comedy. Thank goodness this film wasn't released before the Christmas season. Otherwise, it would have certainly dampened my holiday spirits.
Grade: C
S:2 V:2 L:1
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