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Date:
28 September 1998
Summary:
DeNiro's the man but it takes more than a great actor to save a so-so film.
Robert DeNiro does a great job playing a modern day equivalent of a Samuri, but it's wasted on a film that clearly needed another 2 months in the editing room. Frankenheimer spends almost the first half of the
film establishing that Robert DeNiro is "the man". One or two scenes of him proving that he is the genuine article would have been enough. Once established more energy could have been spent on exploring
the individual characters' motivations. The interplay between DeNiro and Reno was great. By setting up an instant rapport between the two characters a lot of time is saved. Instead of the two get to know each other
Frankenheimer instantly sets up a friendship that is believable. Why couldn't he have taken the same approach with the rest of the movie? The action is impressive, but even some of those scenes went on too long.
I think there is a good film buried here, it's just going to take a really good editor to find it.
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