THE SUBSTITUTE
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1996 Michael John Legeros
(Orion) Directed by Robert Mandel Written by Roy Frumkes, Rocco Simonelli, and Alan Ormsby Cast Tom Berenger, Diane Venora, Ernie Hudson, Glenn Plummer, Marc Anthony, William Forsythe, Luis Guzman MPAA Rating "R" (presumably for language and violence) Running Time 120 min. Reviewed at Carmike Cinemas, Raleigh, NC (21APR96)
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Anyone who has ever taught public school should get a (mild) charge out of this one. Tom Berenger stars as an out-of-work "operative" who take his girlfriend's place at an inner-city high-school, after an assault (on her) by a gang member. He traces the attack back to a student, quickly arranges some fake credentials, and shows up the next day as "Mr. Smith." Just like that. Predictable, poorly lit, and possessing a tone that too easily shifts on a dime (from revenge fantasy to message movie to all points in-between), THE SUBSTITUTE is best enjoyed at face value.
The ensemble acting is surprisingly sincere, with Berenger lean and mean in the title role. (He reminds me of how the Marvel Comics' character The Punisher would behave on-screen, had he not been played by the unfortunate Dolph Lundgren in that unfortunate 1990 movie.) The film also has a strong sense humor, right down to the straight-faced Schwarzenegger accent attempted by Berenger. Of course, to enjoy this nonsense, you have accept a harsh moral stance that allows, among other things, all drug dealers to be shot on sight. Exploitative? Yes. Gratuitous? Yes. Just remember to check your testosterone level before entering.
THE SUBSTITUTE kicks effective butt for about an hour and a half, at which point the story finally-- inevitably?-- begins to repeat itself. The last twenty minutes are the worst: Yet Another Showdown, except this one so poorly lit that we can't tell who is shooting whom. Leave a half-hour early and you won't miss a thing. Really. Now, if only someone had thought to make DANGEROUS MINDS with Linda Hamilton instead of Michelle Pfieffer. She'd be back.
Grade: C+
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Mike Legeros - Raleigh, NC
legeros@nando.net (h) - legeros@unx.sas.com (w)
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