THE SAINT
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 6.5 Alternative Scale: **1/2 out of ****
United States, 1997 U.S. Release Date: 4/3/97 (wide) Running Length: 1:56 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Violence, profanity, mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Val Kilmer, Elisabeth Shue, Rade Serbedzija, Valery Nikolaev, Henry Goodman, Irina Apeximova Director: Phillip Noyce Producers: David Brown, Robert Evans, William J. Macdonald, Mace Neufeld Screenplay: Jonathan Hensleigh and Wesley Strick from a story by Jonathan Hensleigh Cinematography: Phil Meheux Music: Graeme Revell U.S. Distributor: Paramount Pictures
I can't help but wonder if THE SAINT was given the final go-ahead following the success of 1995's James Bond redux, GOLDENEYE. This film, which plays very much like a low-key 007 yarn, began production in March 1996, shortly after the Bond movie's domestic gross topped $100 million. Nevertheless, despite a few taut action sequences, some effective chemistry between the male and female leads, and a globetrotting storyline (the Far East to England to Russia), THE SAINT can't quite measure up to Pierce Brosnan's superspy debut. The problem, however, is more one of history and mystique than plotting and acting.
That's not to say that THE SAINT doesn't have a history of its own -- just that this movie doesn't have GOLDENEYE's cinematic pedigree. In fact, the character of The Saint predates Bond by more than twenty-five years (in both written and film incarnations). Author Leslie Charteris first introduced the world to his suave adventurer in 1926, and continued writing Saint stories until his death in 1993, compiling a list of more than 50 full-length titles and numerous shorter tales. During the late 1930s, RKO produced a series of Saint movies (several of which featured George Sanders in the lead). Then, during the 1960s, THE SAINT came to television, with future James Bond Roger Moore in the title role.
Now, some thirty years later, Val Kilmer has stepped into the shoes once occupied by Moore. This '90s version of THE SAINT takes its inspiration in part from Charteris' books and in part from the TV series (including a few notes from Edwin Astley's theme song), but incorporates all the latest in technology. While Kilmer's Simon Templar is a master of disguises, he's also armed with an impressive array of miniature computers and other assorted gadgets. He logs onto the Internet at will, reads video e-mail, and remotely monitors his swelling Swiss bank account.
THE SAINT purports to tell the origins of the title character, something that Charteris never wrote about. Following a brief prologue in a Far East orphanage, where a young Templar's path in life is set, the scene shifts to Moscow in the near future. A former communist leader-turned-billionaire capitalist, Ivan Tretiak (Rade Serbedzija), is about to make a power play for Russia's leadership. In order to do so, he hires master thief Templar to steal the secret of cold fusion from Emma Russell (Elisabeth Shue), the Oxford scientist who developed the formula. With a $3 million paycheck awaiting him, Templar makes contact with Emma, but, much to his chagrin, he becomes entranced by her combination of beauty and innocence, and discovers that stealing her notes and breaking her heart is more difficult than he had anticipated.
THE SAINT is more of a character-based thriller than a strict stunts-and-explosions film, which is a good thing because the action sequences are mostly flat and obligatory. Even when he generates a degree of tension, director Phillip Noyce (PATRIOT GAMES, CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER) is unable to sustain it, and the disappointing ending is not only long and drawn out, but lacks a sense of closure. It's nice to set up a movie for a sequel, but THE SAINT concludes in such a way that the story seems somehow incomplete.
Acting and character development lie at THE SAINT's core. While Val Kilmer's taciturn Templar may remind viewers of his interpretation of Bruce Wayne, the actor is at his best when donning one of about a dozen disguises. Elisabeth Shue's Emma, on the other hand, only has one personality, and it's a wonderfully-realized one. She's a dreamer and a romantic who has little experience with men or real life. She's smart, energetic, and extremely vulnerable, and the film's strongest dynamic results from what happens when Templar attempts to tap into her weaknesses and, in the process, finds his own exposed.
Other than Kilmer and Shue, the only actors with much screen time are Valery Nikolaev and veteran Rade Serbedzija. Serbedzija, who is known internationally following his appearances in films such as BEFORE THE RAIN and BROKEN ENGLISH, plays a fairly standard megalomaniac here. He gets to shout lines like "I want to see Russia not cut off at the knees, but armed to the teeth!" As Tretiak's son, Nikolaev, a relatively new face in the West, has the rather thankless role of the bloodthirsty, revenge-driven sidekick. Henry Goodman is a physicist trying to make sense out of cold fusion and Irina Apeximova is a black market operator who sells secrets to Templar.
The location work is noteworthy. The scenes filmed outside of the Kremlin have an eerie sense of verisimilitude (Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov, whose BURNT BY THE SUN won an Oscar in 1995, helped make the arrangements that allowed Noyce to film in Red Square). And, while THE SAINT stops short of being a travelogue of Moscow, it does offer a number of fascinating glimpses into one of Russia's most historic cities.
Anyone expecting anything remarkable or new about THE SAINT will be disappointed. Simon Templar's latest adventure is fairly standard material, although it is brought to the screen with a certain degree of style. Paramount has wisely decided to release the film before the summer blockbuster season. In April, THE SAINT will have more of a chance to find an audience than it would ever have during warmer months. Big box office returns would still surprise me, however. THE SAINT is lightly entertaining, but there's very little here worth getting excited about.
e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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