The Saint (1997)
On the television series of the same name, Roger Moore and Ian Ogilvy played the Saint as a Robin Hood via James Bond. Not so in the latest, cinematic version, where Simon Templar (Hollywood bete noire Val Kilmer) uses his human fly and lockpicking services for the highest bidders. But, as the prologue shows, no one can go though a cruel church orphanage full of Dickensian horrors and a tragic event without a conscience. So, when Tretiak, a Russian former Communist turned mob boss and presidential candidate, employs him to steal the secret of cold fusion from an American physicist at Oxford, Dr. Emma Russell (Elisabeth Shue), he has a difficult time. A master of disguise and escape, The Saint penetrates Emma's life, and surprises himself by falling for her.
One of the biggest stars of the movie is Moscow. To my knowledge this is the first big Hollywood movie to take full advantage of Moscow for its backdrop--from the Kremlin and Red Square to Soviet-style apartment blocks and subterranean mazes. The political intrigues and doublecrosses are not contrived and for once, the real suspense is in the chases, not the explosions (kept, gratefully, to a minimum). London and Berlin also provide wonderful atmosphere. Most of the sites shown in this wintry film evoke a lot of gray, somber tones.
Val Kilmer puts in a good performance as The Saint, with a variety of disguises. He seems believable as the mercenary daredevil who finally lets his conscience dictate to him. Elisabeth Shue seems a bit too young and naive for the role of the physicist. But, she seems addled enough throughout to be the scientist suddenly tossed into skullduggery. The plot also avoids ending at a romantic upswing and delivers a few last-minute surprises without being excessive.
Rade Serbedzija and Valeri Nikolayev are wonderful as the diabolical father-and-son-duo, Ivan and Ilya Tretiak, respectively. Charlotte Cornwall and Alun Armstrong are also very amusing in their roles of Scotland Yard Detectives who are onto the Saint.
TV has made much of the soundtrack, which does not seem so apparent during the movie. At one point, during the initial love scene, a pop tune that drifts in and out of the much better score is quite annoying.
Copyright 1997 Seth J. Bookey, New York, NY 10021
Seth Bookey sethbook@panix.com Criticism http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2679/mission.html Family History http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/8588
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