"Snake Eyes" is one of Brian De Palma's most underrated (even forgotten) movies. Sort-of an update of "Blow Out" (the political assassination conspiracy, technology recording and revealing what the naked eye has missed, the overhead shots, the witness that must be silenced, etc.), but with stylistic elements from other De Palma films as well (long continuous shots, split screen, flashbacks of the same events from multiple perspectives, etc). In terms of how De Palma uses the camera to (mis)guide the viewer and tell the story, it's extraordinary; David Koepp's script is also like a well-orchestrated symphony, or a well-put-together puzzle, if you prefer. But there are two problems with "Snake Eyes", and they are pretty big: the first is that it's extremely obvious that Sinise's character is part of the conspiracy (his blunder with the redhead is so big that there could be no other explanation for it), and the second is that Nicolas Cage's character is an obnoxious sleazebag (and Cage's performance overdone). The film has to show him bruised, battered and beaten to make us root for him even a little near the very end. Gary Sinise, John Heard and Stan Shaw give much more effective performances, and both Carla Gugino and Jayne Heitmeyer are very hot. **1/2 out of 4.
Review of Snake Eyes
