RANSOM
A film review by Michael Redman
Copyright 1996 Michael Redman
***1/2 (out of ****)
If he doesn=92t watch out, Mel Gibson is in danger of being known as someone other than Mad Max. Of course there are still a few big guns in this film, but there=92s some accomplished acting too. Although Gibson continues to shed his rough and gritty anti-hero skin as his career progresses, here he explores a new genre: the businessman as action hero.
In Ron Howard=92s latest film, Gibson plays Tom Mullen, a gazillionaire airline owner whose son is snatched from the junior science fair by kidnappers. Mullen at first agrees to pay the ransom, but when things fall apart he rethinks the situation. A veteran of numerous hard-nosed business negotiations, the tycoon realizes that in order to get his son back alive, he has to play his hand differently.
The casting is what puts this film over the top. The trio of Gibson, the kidnappers' mastermind (Gary Sinise) and FBI team leader (Delroy Lindo) play off of each other wonderfully. Sinise is perfect as the driven scheming sleezebag is right on the mark. His speech to Mullen over a walkie talkie about H. G. Wells=92 Morlocks and Eloi reveal his vision of=
society. Mullen and the other glitteratti frolic up on high while Sinise and the other lowlifes dwell below, feeding off the unsuspecting.
Gibson=92s character is an all-American hero with a few flaws. His cowboy=
tactics tend to work, but they are also what got him into this situation to begin with. In a round about way, if he weren=92t known as a man who i= s willing to buy his way out of trouble, his son wouldn=92t have been kidnapped. As Sinise says "You=92re a payer. You did it once and now you=92re going to do it again."
One of the nicest elements of this film is that most of the characters actually have personalities. Lindo calls home to talk to his kids, obviously shaken at working this case. Even the kidnappers are real people, arguing about the ultimate fate of Sean Mullen and feeding him candy bars.
Gibson=92s break-down on the balcony of their penthouse apartment is especially effective. It=92s one of the best filmed representations of a man=92s world falling apart that I=92ve seen.
It=92s not all perfect. The shoot 'em upending, while emotionally satisfying seems tacked on to be just that rather than to provide a powerful resolution. As well crafted as the scene is, we=92ve seen it before. Mullen=92s wife (Rene Russo) has several good moments, but occasionally just seems to be there. While adequate, Brawley Nolte (Sean) doesn=92t provide much to the film other than occupying space to build the story around.
But you=92ll ignore these problems as each minute of the movie builds on the previous one. Forget about the large coke, you won=92t want to leave for that five minute break an hour later.
[This appeared in the 11/14/96 "Bloomington Voice", Bloomington, Indiana. Michael Redman can be reached at mredman@bvoice.com]
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