G.I. Jane (R) *** (out of ****) In recent years, Demi Moore has been better suited to promoting her films than starring in them. Her audacious claim that "not that many people have read the book" resulted in a lot of press for Roland Joffe's disastrous The Scarlet Letter, but she seemed out of time and place, to say the least, on screen as Nathaniel Hawthorne's tortured heroine. Moore seductively shimmied with Barbara Walters, stripped down for David Letterman, and urged women everywhere to do a little Striptease for themselves, but her grave earnestness was completely at odds with the ridiculous goings-on in last summer's notorious would-be comedy. However, Moore could not have been more perfectly cast as the strong-willed heroine in Ridley Scott's surprisingly effective G.I. Jane. Moore stars as Lt. Jordan O'Neil, a Navy intelligence officer who is chosen as the first woman to enter the rigorous training for the Navy SEALs. How rigorous? We are told early on and at various points throughout the film that the dropout rate is 60%--that statistic, of course, reflecting only men. Will Jordan beat the odds, overcome the sexism of her commanding officers, and complete her training? Yes, the scenario served up by writers David Twohy and Danielle Alexandra is rather predictable, and one late development where Jordan must prove her mettle in true combat is contrived, but they manage to throw in a few wrinkles to make the proceedings consistently interesting. Jordan is not the prototypical "G.I. Jane" of the title from the get-go; early on, she struggles as badly as one would expect a woman, and when the men say that she's in over her head, the statement does hold some water. Naturally, Jordan does become a stronger soldier, but the changes do not occur overnight--it is a gradual process, one she is still going through by the end of the film. Also, there is more to the story than Jordan overcoming adversity; there is also an interesting subplot about how she is used as a pawn in a feminist senator's (well-played by Anne Bancroft) political wheelings and dealings. It's unfortunate that the intelligence evident in certain parts of the script didn't extend to the dialogue, which at certain points is fairly laughable (my favorite line is the destined-to-be-quoted "Get your dick back in here!"). Scott directs G.I. Jane with a quick rhythm and (naturally) a visual slickness, and he elicits fine performances all around, notably from Viggo Mortensen as Jordan's iron-fisted master chief. As good as Mortensen is, the star of the show is clearly Moore; I cannot imagine this film working as well as it does without her in the lead. One of her most defining characteristics is her steely determination, and while that same quality seemed so wrong for The Scarlet Letter and Striptease, it is what is exactly called for by the role of Jordan. We not only believe that Jordan can survive the hellish training, we also buy the fact that she actually _wants_ to go through with it. Moore is also a bit of a revelation during the more action-oriented sequences; she is convincing in the more physical fight and combat scenes, showing potential as--if she ever elected to go that route--an action heroine. Newsweek caused a stir earlier this year when the magazine published an article speculating that Moore, who has not had a hit film in years, has become an audience deterrent. The true test of that theory comes with G.I. Jane. Unlike her previous solo starring efforts, it is a solid piece of entertainment, and if its grosses go the way of Striptease, then she really must be box office poison.
Michael Dequina mrbrown@ucla.edu | mj23@the18thhole.com mrbrown23@juno.com | mrbrown@iname.com | mst3k@digicron.com mj-23@geocities.com | michael_jordan@geocities.com
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