|
||||||||||||||||||||
Deja Vu - Review
Length: 128 min Rated: PG-13 Distributor: Touchstone Pictures Release Date: 2006-11-22 Starring: Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer, Paula Patton, Bruce Greenwood, Adam Goldberg, James Caviezel, Erika Alexander, Eldon Henseon
Directed by Tony Scott
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer
Written by Bill Marsilii, Terry Rossio
Visit the movie's Official Site!
It's Fat Tuesday in post-Katrina New Orleans and people are out in full force to have a good time. A riverboat ferry chock full with hundreds of celebratory Navy sailors and their families leaves the dock, heading down the mighty Mississippi en route to the bash of a lifetime. Not long after getting underway the boat erupts in a massive explosion, killing most on board and re-igniting in its wake a nation's fears about terrorism in the homeland. Enter ATF agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington), one of many assigned to find the people responsible for the blast. Despite the chaos and emotion swirling around him, he coolly sets about the task of picking up a trail of clues. There's not much of significance until the body of a beautiful woman, Claire Kuchever (Paula Patton), washes up on shore. Though she's badly burned, evidence suggests it wasn't from the bomb. Convinced that her mysterious murder is tied to the bombing (and finding himself somewhat smitten with the tenderness in her deceased face), Carlin sets out to solve her death, expecting to find his bomber at the end of the same trail. Carlin's not long into the hunt before an FBI Agent (Val Kilmer) approaches and conscripts him into a special investigative team. Agent Pryzwarra and his crew have developed a scientific tool that lets them see into the past. Not just anytime , but exactly four days and six hours into before. "It's a steady stream from the past," Pryzwarra explains, "there is no rewind." The government sends this special technology to help investigate major crimes. They need Carlin's expertise and keen eye to help them avoid missing any important details as they try to piece together the facts by watching past events unfold before them. If you could imagine that time travel was possible for Back To The Future, you'll have no problem believing it here. The lead scientists on Pryzwarra's team, (Adam Goldberg and Erika Alexander) play Doc Brown to Carlin's Marty as they discuss the various technical and moral implications of what they're involved in. All that wordplay results in plenty of techno-babble to make the geeks happy, but doesn't interfere with the plot or action. Far more important (and enjoyable) than the technology is watching Carlin trying to solve the crime by following clues in the present while simultaneously watching how those clues came about four days in the past. There's enough detail throughout to keep you thinking back and trying to remember what you did or didn't see and how it all fits into the big picture. Though I'm getting a little weary of seeing Denzel play the part of the confounded cop willing to break all the rules to solve a crime, he brings a fresh angle to the role this time around. Much of that can be attributed to his sparkling supporting cast, including a wonderfully disturbing villain played by Jim Caviezel. Cinematographer Paul Cameron's method for filming Tony Scott's movie is another treat. He makes hunting for visual clues within the film a pleasure, using the camera to serve as your guide to a feast of subtle and not-so-subtle hints along the way. Even though the two hour long movie could easily have continued on into a third hour without losing its audience, there seems to be a lot of broken moments in the film. I have a suspicion that the suits Tony Scott a cut off time, forcing him to trim out parts that aren't vital but certainly help the complicated story flow more easily. If a two and a half hour director’s cut rolls out on DVD don’t be surprised. It's rare that a good action thriller so smoothly incorporates sci-fi elements without turning into a sci-fi movie. Deja Vu pulls it off nicely with just a hint of confusion to keep you on your toes. It may not be real Deja Vu, but the film will leave you wanting to go back and experience it again.
Social Bookmark This Article Blinklist
 Del.icio.us
 Digg
 Furl
 Slashdot
 Facebook
 StumbleUpon
 Yahoo!
 Propeller
Comment on “Deja Vu”Note: This website is not intended for use by minors. The views expressed in this comments section are not necessarily our own. Comments that we deem to be poorly worded, off topic, or threatening will not be published. For free, uncensored discussion visit our forum.
Leave a ReplyMAIN SITE NAVIGATION
HOME l ABOUT US l l SEARCH l MOVIE NEWS l MOVIE REVIEWS l MOVIE PREVIEWS l DVD REVIEWS l DVD NEWS l SOUNDTRACKS l FEATURES DATABASE l TELEVISION l MUSIC l GAMES l CELEBRITY l TECHNOLOGY l RSS 2.0 FEEDS l MESSAGE BOARDS l LIVE CHAT l SYNDICATE US l LINKS | CB STORE | GIANT FREAKIN ROBOT This site is operated by Cinema Blend LLC. For advertising inquiries, contact Gorilla Nation. CinemaBlend.com is a private, independently owned website which is intended only as entertainment. The views expressed on this website may or may not reflect those of its owner. Don't take us too seriously. Made in Webta Labs 
|
|
December 3rd, 2006 at 13:32
Ok, so I went and saw Deja Vu last night based off the film review I read from your site the other day. Spot on. A great flick. Sure the premise is out there but hey, no ones knocking Spider Man for believability and this film was TS all the way to the core and I had a great time with about 6 friends. I do think Val warrants a special mention for a believable and likable performance. Otherwise, thanks for the reviews. Steered me towards a great movie choice for the weekend!