The Peacemaker (1997) Rated R for graphic violence and language. ---------- Out of 4 stars: ** (2 Stars)
Starring: George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Marcel Iures, Armin Mueller-Stahl
The Peacemaker. Such an ironic title for the subject matter tackled in the film. Perhaps that is the point... maybe that is one of the themes the film uses. Supposedly, the peacemakers of this movie are the U.S. and U.K.'s governments. But do those peacemakers cause more carnage and bloodshed than the actual terrorists? Well, upon witnessing The Peacemaker, I would say no, but there is so much mean-spiritedness behind the premise and conclusion that maybe we aren't quite as peaceful as we would like to think. Then again, the novel probably handled these subjects very well because of the length and detail a book can entail. But this film, while running over two hours in length, tries to shove all these themes down your throat during its run, and instead of coming out as a thought-provoking action film, it comes out as a jumbled, messy, but costly action movie.
Beware of the ads for The Peacemaker. They carry the one biggest slogan which gets a lot of viewers in the seats, but also misinforms the viewer. "Based on the #1 Best Selling Novel!" If you don't know, this means that the book was a hit among readers. Unfortunately, it doesn't reveal what critics thought, nor how the movie version might come out. The Peacemaker is one of those films which tries hard to be good, but then tries a little too hard. The pace of this film is so uneven that you may find yourself dozing off in some moments, while easily enthralled in others. Not many films can do this, and so it's interesting to see one. Fortunately, there are several elements of The Peacemaker which can cause most viewers to stay awake, including a couple of intense action pieces, as well as an intriguing prologue.
To sum up The Peacemaker in one sentence is easy: A bigger and louder cat-and-mouse game. The Game was another cat-and-mouse film, but while the latter had visuals and an interesting story to draw in viewers, the former has to rely on star power and action. Star power is one of the high points, with the exception of one major player. The film begins with an exciting and entertaining action scene (as most action films do), which involves a group of Russian military men transporting ten nuclear warheads to sell to the government. A simple plan, until a mysterious train approaches the transport. Aboard this second train is a militia out to get back at the so-called "peacemakers." They hijack nine of the ten warheads, killing everyone aboard, and then sending the train, with an armed warhead, on its way to collide with a train carrying over 1500 people. As you can imagine, the film gets off with a bang (literally), but then slows to a crawl, and almost to a stop.
I must admit that I was shocked at the overall mean-spiritedness, especially coming from Dreamworks, the new production company of Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen. Much of The Peacemaker consists of Dr. Julia Kelly (Nicole Kidman) and Colonel Devoe (George Clooney) running around trying to find the missing warheads. If done correctly, this sort of story can create a lot of tension. Director Mimi Leder, unfortunately, didn't find the right tone for the film. The screenplay by Michael Schiffer has many flaws in it, including the humanization of villain Duson (Marcel Iures). In Cliffhanger, John Lithgow was a ruthless killer who would do anything to get his money. Duson, however, supposedly has a good side to his persona, and many of these scenes are laughably bad. We don't really care if Duson lives or dies, mostly a result of the decision to give him another side to his evil personality. Instead of hating him and hoping that Devoe kills him, we almost begin to wish both would die.
Kelly, on the other hand, is a very good character, though underdeveloped to make room for Devoe. Kidman has a very nice presence on screen, and saves many of her films. While she wasn't able to save The Peacemaker, she provided some nice contrast to the inhuman Clooney. And as for Clooney, well, he still can't act. Arguably the only reason to put him into the film is to draw female viewers, but Clooney never really plays a character. He plays Clooney portraying a character. The supporting cast fares much better. Armin Mueller-Stahl, as always, is terrific in his short role. Iures, while given many unnecessary scenes, has a certain look which gives those unnecessary scenes a little depth. While showing a good side, his face portrays evil. Kidman's scenes, however, are the best among the film, especially where she cries over the loss of nine dead soldiers. Her discussion with Clooney about nuclear warheads and their possessors is cliched, but because of Kidman's graceful appearance, the scene comes out haunting and thoughtful.
The main theme of The Peacemaker, if there is one, is whether or not the peacemakers are as evil as the villains themselves. In one scene, Clooney and Kidman order a soldier to shoot Duson. However, the soldier keeps telling them that a little kid's head is in the way. Nevertheless, they still tell him to take the shot. Not only was I shocked, but I realized that this one command contradicts the ethical background of our government. Perhaps this scene was supposed to draw fear from viewers, but instead I wished that Duson would succeed and nuke the city. Maybe we aren't as peaceful as we would like to believe. However, many of the action scenes are exciting and not as disturbing. The chase through Venice is well done and actually quite tense. In Roger Ebert's review of Breakdown, he commented that when Kathleen Quinlan finished off the villain, he was appalled that she would do that to an unarmed man. I had the same reaction during this chase sequence when Clooney shoots one of the villains as he is dying in the passenger seat. So much for keeping the peace.
The Peacemaker is rated R for bloody and graphic violence, along with a high body count. No sex or nudity is present, and amazingly Kidman and Clooney show no signs of romance on screen, with the exception of the ending. There is language, but the violence pretty much acquires the R rating. For her first time directing, Mimi Leder does an amateurish job. And for the Dreamworks' first feature film, I surely hope they will do better next time. Easily the most heartless film of the year, The Peacemaker will most likely be forgotten during the rush of Oscar-worthy films coming up in the next few months.
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