P Baker Reviews

Desert Heat (1999)

Spaghetti westerns meet Twin Peaks

[12 November 1999]

The basic plot is lifted straight from the old western films: a somewhat dysfunctional protagonist rides into a desert town, and immediately runs afoul of the local bullies. Our hero (Van Damme) takes on the bullies, brings hope to the honest townspeople, woos the women, etc. There is a good deal of gratuitous violence and sex, as we have come to expect of a Van Damme film.

While watching "Coyote Moon," I got a distinct sense that neither the star nor the director put their full effort into the film. Plot development was thin, the villains were one-dimensional, and no effort was made to justify either the violence or sex. If one is either a die-hard Van Damme fan or is expecting some serious cinematography, "Coyote Moon" is bound to disappoint.

Having said this, I enjoyed "Coyote Moon" a great deal, and this is why. The secondary characters, the townspeople who usually serve simply as a backdrop, were here given a great deal of scope and humor. They were acted well, they had better lines than did the main character, and they were delightfully bizarre. In this surreal context, Van Damme's detached attitude towards the film actually played rather well. These aspects of "Coyote Moon" were so different from what I had expected that they were a pleasure to watch, and the rest became tolerable.

Waterworld (1995)

Not nearly as awful as the critics claim

[22 February 1999]

Synopsis: A poorly described global catastrophe has covered the entire Earth with water. Evolution has already produced the next step, in an antisocial semi-human known only as the Mariner (Costner). The Mariner makes a rare visit to a floating human "atoll," where, through various misfortunes, he unwillingly becomes host to a woman and a young girl (Tripplehorn and Majorino), and gains the enmity of the leader (Hopper) of a band of pirates known as Smokers. The Smokers want the girl, because on her body is tattooed a map to the mythical "Dry Land." The rest of the film follows the escalation of this conflict to its fiery conclusion, alongside the gradual "humanization" of the Mariner.

Critics love to beat up on the big stars, and certainly Costner is an easy target. The most persistent criticism of "Waterworld," however, is how much money was wasted on it. Is implication that if the producers lied, and claimed they spent $100 million less than they really did, this would somehow be perceived as a better film?

It is true that Costner was the weakest part of this film, and complaints about the absurdity of the premise (water covering even the mountain tops) are absolutely correct. But if you accept the film as the fantasy it is, and concentrate on what the film-makers did well, there is a lot to like. The effects and sets are pretty darn nifty, regardless of how much money was spent on them. The supporting actors- including the minor roles- were colorful enough to balance Costner, and the action scenes were suitably intense. It will win no awards, and is certainly unsuitable for young children, but otherwise, sit back with a bowl of popcorn, suspend disbelief, and enjoy the ride.

Some Girls (1988)

An overlooked gem of a romantic comedy

[9/10 · 21 February 1999]

France is famed for its romantics, but Quebec? In the winter? Well, perhaps it should be. A love-struck college student named Michael (Dempsey) has too many naive theories about women. Then he is invited, by his mysterious girlfriend Gabbie (Connelly) to visit her family over Christmas, in Quebec. Ah ha, he thinks; major progress. The first thing Gabbie tells Michael in Quebec, however, is that she no longer loves him. Yet, she wants him to stay for the holidays. The bewildered Michael is then introduced to Gabbie's truly bizarre family, including Gabbie's father (Gregory), a writer who can work effectively only in the nude; a priest (Milette) who is hopelessly in love with Gabbie's over-protective mother (Balkan); Gabbie's sensual sister Irenka (Kelley) and her boorish boyfriend (Edwards); and a clock-stealing sheepdog, among others.

Poor Michael continues to try to woo Gabbie, and almost succeeds, but is mightily distracted by Irenka and her younger sister, Simone (Greenfield). Then he meets Granny (Kedrova), the crazed and dying matriarch, who mistakes Michael for her long-dead husband of the same name. The film shifts tone as Michael discovers that love and sex need not be the same thing. The final lines of the movie sum it up well, as Michael muses that all his theories about women are bulls**t.

The few professional critics who saw this film gave it very low marks, and certainly there were things to criticize. The lead actors (Demsey, Connelly) were sometimes unconvincing, and the plot was erratic and almost non-existent. These were minor flaws, however, in an otherwise fascinating film. For the most part, the acting was enjoyable, the character development was fascinating, and the film filled with unexpected humor. The sexual tension was kept high, with very little actual sex, and the ending was satisfying.

GoldenEye (1995)

Even action films can be improved with good acting.

[7/10 · 20 February 1999]

This was one of the best 007 films in years, and one of my favorites. The opening scenes- diving off a cliff to catch a pilotless plane, followed by the crude seduction of 007's evaluator- made me squirm, but it improved dramatically from there. The tank chase through St. Petersburg (?) was terrific, and nearly believeable.

I particularly liked the new supporting cast; Samantha Bond as a snappy Miss Moneypenny, Joe Don Baker, recycled from a villian in an earlier 007 film (The Living Daylights) as the smart-alec CIA liaison, and Judi Dench as a brass-balled (or something) M. And they kept the best one of all, Desmond Llewelyn as the acerbic Q. Izabella Scorupco, the female lead, almost convinced me she was Russian, and I liked the strong character she played. As for Pierce Brosnan, I think he struck about the right note as an essentially honorable and charming man who was nonetheless capable of ruthlessness, and who reveled in his political incorrectness.

I like films in which the director spends as much care on the supporting actors as on the lead, and it improves even an action film no end. Here's hoping it sets a trend for future 007 films.

Dave (1993)

A perfect film for a quiet evening at home.

[8/10 · 20 February 1999]

This film has been largely forgotten amid more recent films and the tabloid-friendly activities of our recent President and Congress (and their various, er, congresses), but it remains my favorite of the "White House wishful fantasy" genre. When the ruthless White House chief-of-staff (Langella) cons a temporary employment agency operator (the title character, played by Kline) into impersonating the critically ill President (also Kline), they both discover that the man can grow into the role.

Kevin Kline is one of my favorite actors, and I enjoyed his portrayal of a man who has never really grown up, yet whose child-like characteristics make him a finer person than most politicians. Frank Langella was over-the-top as an ambitious politician, but Kevin Dunn did very well as a speech writer struggling with his conscience. Sigourney Weaver came across as both sexy and smart, and Grodin did his usual excellent job as a determined pessimist. I regret that little use of Ving Rhames' talents was made, and I would have liked to see more of Ben Kingsley.

The movie is not as memorable as some, but at the same time, there is virtually nothing in it to object to. Despite the rating, it is a suitable family film, and a good one to turn to when you can't make up your mind at the video rental store.