MURDER AT 1600
A film review by Michael Redman
Copyright 1997 Michael Redman
*** (out of ****)
There's a major crime at the White House and the politicians are busy at work covering it up. This could be either one of many films from the past couple of years ("Absolute Power", "My Fellow Americans", etc.) or the headlines from just about any day since the late sixties.
Jumping on the blame-the-government bandwagon, "Murder" is a thriller that doesn't make much sense...and doesn't need to. Stars Wesley Snipes and Diane Lane keep it on target even with a plot that has so many ill-conceived ideas that if you had a chance to stop and think, the most intelligent comment would be "Huh?"
A young (and coincidentally, beautiful) female staffer is found murdered in a White House bathroom just an hour after a late night tryst with someone a few feet from the presidential seal. Virtually every one of the 30 people in-house are suspects. Or is it 31? Or more?
DC homicide cop Harlan Regis (Snipes) is brought in to make the investigation "look good" as the Democrats (and you know that this president is a Democrat: he never served in the army, is dealing with a hostage crisis and is seen as a wimp) scurry around practicing damage control. Unfortunately for the spin doctors, Regis is bent on solving the crime rather than accepting the spoon-fed solution.
Sharpshooter (and coincidentally beautiful) Secret Service agent Nina Chance (Lane) is assigned to the detective as the official liaison but it is unclear if she is helping him or hiding the facts. The interaction between Snipes and Lane is dynamic and their chemistry is hot without being overtly sexual.
The secondary actors hold up their end admirably. Alan Alda is the perfect National Security Advisor who is personable and sleazy at the same time. Ronny Cox plays the President who, although a pivotal player, has a minor role. Daniel Benzali is the menacing head of White House security and doesn't turn in much of an acting job, but looks great. "Saturday Night Live" veteran Dennis Miller has great timing as Regis' partner: on screen for just a few minutes to provide comedic relief.
The plot holes? There are so many of them that this column would be beyond the length limit just to list them. Most notable is the extended gun fight while our heroes are sloshing through the water in the tunnels under the White House. They are attempting to get a message to the President, but there are about a zillion other and less dangerous (although also less cinematic) methods to accomplish their task.
Much like last year's "Independence Day", this is an entertaining fun movie without much other redeeming value. A hunk, a babe, big guns and a government conspiracy: the summer films are starting early.
[This appeared in the 4/24/97 "Bloomington Voice", Bloomington, Indiana. Michael Redman can be reached at mredman@bvoice.com ]
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