DESTINY TURNS ON THE RADIO
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 4.0
U.S. Availability: general release 4/28/95 Running Length: 1:43 MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, violence, crotch-grabbing)
Starring: Dylan McDermott, James LeGros, Quentin Tarantino, Nancy Travis, James Belushi, Bobcat Goldthwait Director: Jack Baran Producer: Gloria Zimmerman Screenplay: Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone Cinematography: James Carter Music: Steve Soles Released by Savoy Pictures
DESTINY TURNS ON THE RADIO is a noir romance/thriller steeped in the bizarre, with the accent on "bizarre." Take away all the weird, ultimately pointless mystical mumbo-jumbo and you're left with a story that makes very little sense. Put simply, DESTINY is a mess. It's a colorful, atmospheric mess polished with a hip, pseudo-intellectual sheen, but it's still a mess.
The makers of DESTINY should have heeded the lesson of David Lynch's TWIN PEAKS. Early in its run, when the TV series was a character-based mystery with supernatural overtones, it was fun, fascinating, and quirky. But, when the more outlandish elements began to dominate, the program became self-indulgent and incomprehensible. DESTINY is like TWIN PEAKS at its worst--lots of strange goings-on that get "explained" by such facile quotes as "The universe is expanding... It's beyond man's power to stem the tide of chaos."
The story--such as it is--follows the exploits of an escaped convict named Julian (Dylan McDermott) who has arrived in Las Vegas for two reasons: to pick up the proceeds of a bank robbery from his one-time partner Thoreau (James LeGros) and to reclaim his girlfriend Lucille (Nancy Travis). Matters aren't simple, however. Lucille is living with wheeler-dealer Tuerto (James Belushi) and isn't sure she's ready to revive a three-year-old relationship. And the money is gone. Apparently, Thoreau was robbed by someone named Johnny Destiny (Quentin Tarantino), an ultra-cool dude with perfect hair who has a habit of taking swims in glowing pools while little ribbons of electricity kiss his body. But that's because Johnny isn't exactly human--he's the embodiment of luck.
Aside from a script that doesn't care whether the viewer gets it or not, there are several significant problems with DESTINY TURNS ON THE RADIO. In the first place, the film thinks it's funnier than it actually is. A significant portion of the dialogue is delivered tongue-in-cheek, and there are several failed attempts at broader comedy. Straight or satirical, it's difficult to appreciate what director Baran has put up on the screen, and if there's some kind of joke going on here, it seems to be on those who venture into a theater to see this movie.
The cast is barely worth mentioning. There aren't any standouts, and we're forced to watch talented performers like James LeGros mix ineffectually with those of lesser ability (James Belushi and Nancy Travis). Quentin Tarantino is on hand, but his role doesn't require much more than a sardonic grin, something the actor is easily capable of. Dylan McDermott, who has the most screen time, is flat in a role that Nicolas Cage probably could have livened up considerably.
DESTINY TURNS ON THE RADIO is swamped with style and atmosphere. Often, the visual and audio elements of the film overwhelm the admittedly-tenuous storyline and paper-thin characters. In general, I appreciate offbeat pictures, but that's when there's something worth searching for beneath the surface. In this case, once you strip away the packaging, all that's left is an empty shell. Ultimately, the most clever thing about DESTINY TURNS ON THE RADIO is the title.
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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