Red Rock West
2.5/4
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Lara Flynn Boyle, Dennis Hopper, J.T. Walsh
Rated R for Language and Violence, and for Sexuality
If "Red Rock West" missed the mark for positive side of Siskel and Ebert's "thumbs up/down" scale, it does so by one of the narrowest margins I have seen. There's a lot to like in this movie, particularly in the first half. But in the end, if felt strung along and jerked around rather than energized. Many viewers won't feel the same, which is why you'll never hear me tell anyone not to see it if they have any interest in doing so.
Michael (Cage) is down on his luck. He drove well over a thousand miles for a job interview that seemed like a sure thing, only to have his honesty get in the way. While drowning his sorrows in a cup of black coffee, a bartender asks him if he's Lyle. Desperate and naiive, Michael lies and says he is. It turns out that this man, named Wayne (Walsh), wants Lyle to kill his wife. Life is going to get a lot more complicated for Michael. And just when things couldn't get any worse, the real Lyle (Hopper) shows up.
"Red Rock West" is one of those thrillers where the more it reveals, the less tension there is. All thrillers have seams in the plot; they wouldn't be able to function without them. But good directors know how to camouflage them via tricky direction or editing. Director John Dahl doesn't have this skill. Once the obligatory (not to mention contrived) sex scene happens at about the halfway mark, the tension starts to deflate.
At least there are some nice performances. That is, until the actors are forced to go over the top. Nicolas Cage, (in)famous for his trademark weirdness, is more down to Earth here. Michael is a good man in a bad situation. However, much of it he brings upon himself, which Dahl apparently doesn't want us to notice. Lara Flynn Boyle is effective, but lacks the raw sexuality needed to pull the role off. Veteran villains Dennis Hopper and J.T. Walsh show up to do their thing, but there are times when they froth at the mouth when they don't need to.
Ultimately, "Red Rock West" runs out of gas before the finish line. The first half is great fun. It's tense, unpredictable and exciting in all the right ways. The second half is by no means a trainwreck and contains a few twists I wasn't expecting. It's just that my interest began to wane. The more I found out, the less I cared. Still, for people who have heard about it this movie and are curious, or mystery lovers in need of a fix, "Red Rock West" will probably satisfy.
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Lara Flynn Boyle, Dennis Hopper, J.T. Walsh
Rated R for Language and Violence, and for Sexuality
If "Red Rock West" missed the mark for positive side of Siskel and Ebert's "thumbs up/down" scale, it does so by one of the narrowest margins I have seen. There's a lot to like in this movie, particularly in the first half. But in the end, if felt strung along and jerked around rather than energized. Many viewers won't feel the same, which is why you'll never hear me tell anyone not to see it if they have any interest in doing so.
Michael (Cage) is down on his luck. He drove well over a thousand miles for a job interview that seemed like a sure thing, only to have his honesty get in the way. While drowning his sorrows in a cup of black coffee, a bartender asks him if he's Lyle. Desperate and naiive, Michael lies and says he is. It turns out that this man, named Wayne (Walsh), wants Lyle to kill his wife. Life is going to get a lot more complicated for Michael. And just when things couldn't get any worse, the real Lyle (Hopper) shows up.
"Red Rock West" is one of those thrillers where the more it reveals, the less tension there is. All thrillers have seams in the plot; they wouldn't be able to function without them. But good directors know how to camouflage them via tricky direction or editing. Director John Dahl doesn't have this skill. Once the obligatory (not to mention contrived) sex scene happens at about the halfway mark, the tension starts to deflate.
At least there are some nice performances. That is, until the actors are forced to go over the top. Nicolas Cage, (in)famous for his trademark weirdness, is more down to Earth here. Michael is a good man in a bad situation. However, much of it he brings upon himself, which Dahl apparently doesn't want us to notice. Lara Flynn Boyle is effective, but lacks the raw sexuality needed to pull the role off. Veteran villains Dennis Hopper and J.T. Walsh show up to do their thing, but there are times when they froth at the mouth when they don't need to.
Ultimately, "Red Rock West" runs out of gas before the finish line. The first half is great fun. It's tense, unpredictable and exciting in all the right ways. The second half is by no means a trainwreck and contains a few twists I wasn't expecting. It's just that my interest began to wane. The more I found out, the less I cared. Still, for people who have heard about it this movie and are curious, or mystery lovers in need of a fix, "Red Rock West" will probably satisfy.
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