*** out of ****
Year: 2000. Starring Nicolas Cage, Giovanni Ribisi, Angelina Jolie, Robert Duvall, Delroy Lindo, Timothy Olyphant, Christopher Eccleston, Vinnie Jones, Scott Caan, Will Patton. Screenplay by Scott Rosenberg. Directed by Dominic Sena. Rated PG-13.
"Gone in Sixty Seconds" is a perfect example of why reviewing films is not an exact science. Logically, intellectually, I know it was a bad film, one that will probably contribute to the general degradation of American cinema as a whole. But on a baser, more primal level, I enjoyed it. I could wax philosophical on all the script's problems with characterization, or on the utterly ridiculous plotting, or on the sheer stupidity of the whole thing, and being a long-winded critic, I probably will. But to give it a low rating would render me a hypocrite, because when all was said and done, when I had left the theater, I was satisfied; I had gotten my money's worth; I liked it. Despite all my brain's arrogant attempts to dismiss the film as dim-witted hogwash, my gut liked it.
The plot deals with retired car thief Memphis Raines (Nicolas Cage) and his attempt to save his brother Kip (Giovanni Ribisi) from the clutches of an evil crime boss (Christopher Eccleston). To do so, Raines must steal 50 rare cars in one night. Being an old pro (who had since left the "biz" for a legitimate career), Raines recruits a bunch of old friends to complete the task. Sound contrived? Of course it's contrived. This film was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, master of contrived plots. He even throws in a brother-brother relationship and an old flame for Memphis, a blonde bombshell called Sway. She's played by Angelina Jolie, who gets second billing despite barely appearing in half the film. The truncated character relationships get their few scenes marked by grandiose orchestral swells, but they're unlikely to fool anyone. After all, characters don't matter in Bruckheimerland. They are merely props to be moved around during high-octane action scenes.
In the past, Bruckheimer has shown a tendency to get carried away with the spectacle of his films, attempting to juggle too many characters and plot threads. Since he's not much good at anything but action, his most overstuffed films ("Armageddon") have played as long, dull excursions into shallowness. The best thing, then, about "Gone in Sixty Seconds" is that it's refreshingly slimmed down. Yes, there are still too many characters, but they're placed very easily on either side of the conflict, and the goal is simple: Steal 50 cars. Simplicity is a necessity in Bruckheimerland, because you don't want to give anyone a chance to stop and observe how little substance there actually is. "Gone in Sixty Seconds" moves so fast, there's barely a chance to get bored. The car chases (and the second half of the movie is basically one big car chase) are filmed professionally and economically by director Dominic Sena. "Gone in Sixty Seconds" has everything you'd want from a car chase: squealing tires, revving engines, and implausible stunts straight out of a demolition derby. It's here the movie works best.
Now, I could complain about how everyone is a racial stereotype in Bruckheimerland: Black men are annoying loudmouths, Asian women are bad drivers, etc. (Who wrote this script-John Rocker?) Or I could complain about the shockingly banal dialogue. ("How bad is it?" "Bad.") And I could cite the jaw-droppingly clichE9d conclusion, featuring a fist = fight in some random steam-filled factory setting, complete with slippery guns and supposedly dead characters resurrecting themselves with impeccable timing, and proclaim "Gone in Sixty Seconds" to be a Very Bad Movie.
But if I did that, I'd be a hypocrite, because I liked this movie more than I'd care to admit. No, it's not the least bit original, and yes, it is very, very dumb. What I like about "Gone in Sixty Seconds," however, is that it never appears to be taking itself terribly seriously. It's considerably less pompous than Bruckheimer's last few films, and I enjoy trash that knows it's trash a hell of a lot more than trash that continually strives to convince you of its seriousness (like, say, "Mission: Impossible 2"). I'll take fun, shameless entertainment over tedious pretension any day.
-reviewed by Shay Casey
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