Hollyfeld, here. Welcome to a (hopefully) ongoing Look Closer... series we'll like to call, "Movies We Forced John To See." For various reasons everyone is very busy and distracted right now, both with the recent tragedy and our own personal problems (and in some unrelated cases, joys). I hope that all of you can take solace in a good movie when times seem hard. After all, that's what Hollywood is here for right?
Hard Boiled
For those of you who have been around awhile, you might recall I once had a poll where visitors could vote on movies that I hadn't seen yet for some bizarre reason, thus picking which one was most important that I see and review. I enjoyed doing it and judging by the responses I got, you folks enjoyed the chance to speak up. Well, I eventually abandoned the series because I couldn't keep up to date on it. My guilt at perpetually running late overwhelmed my enjoyment of it. So now it's back in a new version. There are still a lot of important movies that I've missed. Now, the staff here at TNMC will be picking ones for me to watch. Readers are still encouraged to pipe up and make suggestions though. Together we might get my sorry ass in proper movie shape.
The first movie I'm going to watch along this new vein is Hard Boiled This action film was directed by John Woo and stars Chow Yun Fat. I'm sure you're all familiar with them now, after they've made an impact in Hollywood but this film is before that time when they were big stars in Hong Kong cinema but not here in the states. Woo has a reputation for staging spectacular action sequences and Hard Boiled has a lot to do with that reputation. I'm guessing that approximately 80% of the movie is action sequences. The bits in between are there just to give us a story to attach all the action to along with attempting to make the characters interesting enough to draw you into the action a bit more.
Chow Yun Fat stars as rebellious cop named Tequila. Yes this concept has been beaten to death in movies but the action makes this tired idea acceptable. Tequila is working on a big arms smuggling case, which at the beginning of the movie leads him to a tea room to monitor an exchange of guns for cash. The situation rapidly spirals out of control and mere minutes into the movie there is enough gunfire to satisfy most war movies. One cop, numerous bad guys and countless bystanders are mowed down in a storm of bullets. This level of action would be the centerpiece of most action flicks but Woo just uses it as the appetizer for the seven course meal to follow.
The film's weakness is clearly its muddled plot. I won't dwell on it though because the movie doesn't either, simply using the story to jump from one action sequence to another. It's enough to know that there is a crime boss smuggling drugs, plus an undercover cop, Tequila and the requisite police captain unamused by Tequila's rogue tactics. Saying any more would require actually understanding the plot.
This movie is staggeringly violent. The body count must run into the hundreds. Henchmen, security guards, swat team members, regular cops and bystanders are treated as little more than target practice by the film's heroes and villains alike. Machine guns, pistols, grenades and rocket launchers are all used in great abundance. Woo knows how to shoot action like few other directors. He utilizes wild angles and considerable slow motion to capture the violence with a reverance usually reserved for elaborate dance choreography. Oddly enough, despite the excessive violence, Woo keeps the blood to a bare minimum for the most part, only resorting to major geysers for the death of key figures in the story. He knows damn well how quickly the audience can become desensitized, so his careful use of spilled blood allows him to continue to shock viewers, long after most directors would have lost that ability.
Chow Yun Fat is one of the world's most popular actors and this movie is a strong indicator why. He has a considerable presence that makes his actions riveting. Nobody wields a pair of pistols as well as him on screen. Consider this, how many actors could get through an entire gun battle with a toothpick clenched between his teeth and get away with it? Very few is the answer. Chow Yun Fat and maybe Clint Eastwood. That's about it. The man is just plain cool.
If you love action movies, make it a point to either rent this movie or buy yourself a copy. The DVD version allows you the choice of English subtitles or hearing the dialogue dubbed over in English. Worth mentioning if you are the sort to avoid a movie strictly on the presence of subtitles.
- John Shea
As always, Hollyfeld can be reached at hollyfeld_@hotmail.com
You there! You think you could do this job better than I can? Well, you might be right! Look Closer… is always looking for guest columnists, and you might as well be one of them. Just write a review of reasonable length for a movie that you think is under-rated, over-rated, no one knows, etc., and if it makes the grade we will print it in an edition of this column! Those whose reviews are published will also receive a free piece of (slightly cheesy and really inexpensive) promotional merchandise from a movie, to be sent when their review is published, courtesy of me. Just send any and all reviews to the above address. Thank you for reading and participating in the site!
Lazlo Hollyfeld is the pseudonym of an aspiring writer/actor/director located in Southern California. With one screenplay under his (collaborative) belt and more to come, he is sure to work his way up in the world with the help of his talented and close-knit group of friends, co-workers, and penguins. Yes, you heard me, penguins. A film student since before he can remember, he has devoted much of his life to the study of the silver screen and its related art forms.
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