Gone in 60 Seconds
rated PG-13 118 minutes Touchstone Pictures starring Nicolas Cage, Giovanni Ribisi, Angelina Jolie, Robert Duvall, and Delroy Lindo written by Scott Michael Rosenberg directed by Dominic Sena
A Review by Frankie Paiva
Gone in 60 Seconds is the ultimate guilty pleasure of the summer. It starts off as a promising action film, full of genuine suspense and excitement. As the movie progresses, it gets increasingly stupid to the point where it's so bad and inane that it's good. Throughout the film, the same phony human emotion becomes adopted by all the actors, but it's the emotions and relationships that keep the film interesting. No character goes beyond wading pool level in depth, and that's a very good thing. Director Dominic Sena realizes this is an action movie, and he doesn't disappoint. Instead of trying to reinvent the genre or use slow motion until it just becomes silly (Mission: Impossible 2 anyone?) he takes the best stuff from things we've seen before, and makes it into a fun, exciting, and pleasing film.
Memphis Raines (Nicolas Cage) is a retired car thief whose younger brother Kip (Giovanni Ribisi) attempts to follow in his footsteps. Kip screws up his first car heist leading the police right to him and his boss. His boss, an evil guy with an English accent, wants Memphis to steal fifty specific cars from the Long Beach area in three days. If all the cars don't get delivered in time, he will kill Kip. So Memphis and a bunch of his old (now mostly clean) car thief buddies work together planning the operation. Some of his friends include former girlfriend Sway (Angelina Jolie), and an auto mechanic named Otto (Robert Duvall). Kip and his younger friends also join the crew. Detective Roland Castlebeck (Delroy Lindo) is about the same age as Memphis, and is eager to put him behind bars. Not putting him in jail already is something he regrets. Castlebeck and his younger partner Detective Drycoff (Timothy Olyphant) pursue Memphis and the gang for most of the film.
One constant element of humor in this movie is the clash between the older and younger generations. Memphis and Otto are more cautious about their actions and easily spot undercover cops. Unlike some of Kip's pals (including Tumbler played by Scott Caan) they are always aware of their surroundings. The older guys certainly don’t discuss the latest masturbation techniques, or steal cars full of heroin. Memphis comes up with inventive ways to evade police and gangs, while the youths prefer confrontation. However, one hilarious scene does involves one of the older men attacking a bad car hijacker claiming he needs to get a role model. If this doesn't sound like your type of humor, this movie isn't for you. This movie will please action fans, but I think lots of other less action-oriented people may get surprised. I certainly was, and apparently the crowd was too. They were hooting and hollering and clapped loudly several times. I admire that Angelina Jolie doesn't get used as just a sex object in the film. Sway just likes hanging with the guys, and not once does she sleep with anyone. While the sexual aspect of her character is definitely there, she doesn't appear in much of the movie anyway. Nicolas Cage's nasal tone has never been more appealing, and I like the range shown by Giovanni Ribisi in this movie.
The action scenes are at the heart of this movie. The mood gets well set; everything is dark and grainy. The only constant source of light for the characters comes from fiery explosions, car headlights, or police lights. There is one skill everyone in the movie possesses; these people can drive. During one amazing car chase, Memphis does a spectacular job of navigating himself through the streets. The fast pace never stops, and I thought this scene to be the highlight of the film. The cast assembled includes some great actors who throw almost all their skills away for good old-fashioned movie fun. There really don't need to be as many characters as there were. Frances Fisher shows up for some reason in the beginning and end, and there were some scenes (like giving a dog laxatives so he would "release" the keys he swallowed) that don't need to be there. Regardless, this is still an entertaining time. Some Mission: Impossible and James Bond music pops up, and similar Bond-esque stunts occur. Gone in 60 Seconds could also promote awareness about how easy it is for car thieves to steal your car. It may encourage people to be safer about where they park, and security measures they use. Coming out of the screening, I got handed a helpful guide with ten ways to protect your car from car thieves.
There are more than eighty people listed under the stunts section of the credits. If this doesn't give you an idea about what type of movie this is, I don't know what will.
B+
Frankie Paiva SwpStke@aol.com http://www.homestead.com/cinemaparadise/mainpage.html
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