The General's Daughter

2/4

Starring: John Travolta, Madeline Stowe, James Cromwell, James Woods, Timothy Hutton

Rated R for Graphic Images Relating to Sexual Violence including a Strong Rape Scene, Some Perverse Sexuality, Nudity and Language

"The General's Daughter" is a mess of a film.  This is especially strange considering that movies that rely on straightforward plots are probably the easiest to get right.  Unfortunately, the script is a little unorganized, and the director is a talentless hack.

Warrant Officer Paul Brenner (John Travolta) is called in to solve the murder of a young Army captain named Elizabeth Campbell (Leslie Stefanson), who just happens to be the daughter of a respected general.  It appears to be a straightforward murder investigation, but the deeper he digs, the darker the secrets that he uncovers.

The acting is fine, but quite frankly, this is not a character-based movie.  Everyone does their jobs admirably, but no one is given a chance to truly shine.  Travolta is an effective lead, but this is the kind of role he could do in his sleep.  Madeline Stowe is good as his independent partner, but like Travolta, she's not given much material to work with.  James Woods tries to be mysterious, but director Simon West fails to capture the subtleties of his performance.  James Cromwell is good as usual in the role of the general who is looking towards politics (and may have a secret or two himself).  Academy Award winner Timothy Hutton gives his best performance in years as Brenner's friend on base.

The film is based on a book by Nelson DeMille, one of those authors who seems to have a new book out every time you walk into a bookstore.  Those kinds of books generally aren't very good, and maybe that's the problem.  The screenwriters were given such poor material to work with that there wasn't much they could do.  Not having read the book myself, I can't comment on the accuracy of this theory, but this sort of thing has happened before.

If the script is in need of a rewrite or two, the film still wouldn't have been salvageable with a poor director.  Simon West does not have a good track record; his debut film, "Con Air," is probably the only action move produced by Jerry Bruckheimer that DOESN'T work on any level, and his remake of "When A Stranger Calls" is by all accounts a cataclysmic misfire (I'll admit that "Lara Croft" is cheesy fun, but this was probably an accidental success rather than on purpose).  His storytelling skills are lackluster, his shot choices are haphazard, and his ability to create real breathing characters is non-existent.  Characters seem to know more than we do; it's as if we've missed the prologue that introduces these characters and how they relate to each other.

The film does take off in the final half hour, but it's an uneasy journey getting there.  Next time you want to make a mystery/thriller, make sure you have a script that's actually ready and a director with talent.