Some films cannot be remade
By Ervell E. Menezes

TAKE the blood and thunder excitement of a heavy-weight boxing match. Then get a key politician to be assassinated during the bout. Block the exits of the stadium so the prime suspects are in it. The stage is thus set for the whodunit act in Snake Eyes. It’s high drama and with director Brian de Palma pulling the strings one can expect a pulse-pounding, engrossing entertainer.

A boxing hall is soon to be converted into a casino in Atlantic City and the swangsong performance is about to begin. Tarnished Atlantic City police detective Rick Santoro (Nicholas Cage) has a chance of renewing his acquaintance with old friend and navy Commandar Kevin Dunne ( Gary Sinisie), now a high-place Defence Department staffer and accompanying the US Secretary of Defence (Joel Fabini), at the bout. But just as the fight hots up and Dunne’s back is turned, the Secretary of Defence is assassinated.

Battling against time Rick seeks the answers from three key witnesses — Julia Costello (Carla Guino), a mysterious woman who was seen speaking to the politician just before he was killed, Lincoln Tyler (Stan Shaw), the heavy-weight champ who loses the fight amidst charged of the match being fixed, and Kevin Dunne himself who was suspiciously drawn away from his post. It is a made-for-suspense situation and De Palma goes to town with the action. He is once again (the earlier efforts being Carlito’s Way and Mission: Impossible) supported by Scriptwriter David Koepp with Stephen Burum in charge of the camerawork. The killing takes places inside 10 minutes. After that the mayhem that breaks out is brilliantly captured by De Palama with some astonishing crowd scenes. Aided by high-tech but essentially marshalled by De Palma you have action and suspense go hand in hand. Suspicion is sprinkled like mustard and action like sauce which makes the fare quite sumptuous. Another plus point is that De Palma’s seems to go slow on the violence and except for the portion when the hero takes a battering he seems to avoid resorting to what was once his trademark.

It is 110 minutes of super-charged entertainment with Nicholas Cage doing a good job ably supported by Gary Sinisie, seen earlier in Forest Gump Carla Guino as the mysterious woman is cute, especially after she discards her wig. Cameos by John Heard and Joel Fabini are merely academic and even if the climax is a bit weak it can be overlooked for the sustained suspense and high drama.

"The Deep End of the Ocean is a totally different kettle of fish. In fact it dissects human emotions and various relationships, like between mother and son, son and mother, husband and wife and all arising out of the loss (not by death) of a child.

What happens when a three-year-old son, loitering in a hotel lobby, gets lost? How do the parents react? Especially when days turn into months and then into years. The mother is a photographer, the father is a restaurateur, but above all they are parents. What about the elder brother? Does he feel ignored? All this is sensitively and unsentimentally handled by Ulu Grosbard whose understanding of human nature seems profound. Over a decade ago he made True Confessions (Robert de Niro and Robert Duvall) which dealt with the story of two brothers, one a cop and the other a priest.

Based on a best-seller of the same name by Jacquelyn Mitchard, the film delves deep into the psyche of the Cappodara family. Beth (Michelle Pfeiffer) is a loving and devoted mother but when she drives from Washington to Chicago with three children in tow (one a babe in arms) she finds it hard to keep and eye on all of them. Then, when she has he back turned, bingo and in a twinkle of an eye the three-year-old vanishes. Dad Pat (Treat Williams) dashes to Chicago and super cop Candy Bliss (Whoopi Goldberg) is in charge of the case. But what looks like a minor incident turns into a long-time loss.

The Cappadoras try to act as a normal family but not unexpectedly there are pressures building on all sides. When after months Pat suggests that they have another child Beth erupts. "You want a new baby and a new restaurant, then go and find a new wife," she snaps. Vincent the elder boy finds himself doing much of his mothers work looking after his kid sister. The various crosscurrents seem to keep the family very much on the edge.

Actually, both Beth and Pat are a study in contrasts. Who is more strong-willed? And when Pat counters Beth’s barbs with "you’ve made a career out of being unhappy" does he really mean it? Then, out of the blue the film takes a new twist and then there are fresh repercussions.

Stephen Schiff’s screenplay is more than adequate. Director Grosbard cuts through the social milieu with a knife. What is the role of the parents towards the children? And what about the perspective of the child? How unselfish can selflessness be? The pace is halting, almost European-cinema like and weaves an intricate tapestry which keeps the viewer on the edge of the seat most of the while.

Dramatic relief is provided by the Zorba the Greek dance (remember Anthony Quinn and Alan Bates doing it?) but it is also Hollywood’s way of reviving portions of older movies. For Michelle Pfeiffer it is a completely different role from the one she played in One Fine Day. But she is equal to the part and ably supported by Treat Williams. The children too are credible but Whoopi Goldberg as the super cop seems miscast. But that doesn’t alter the overall impact of The Deep End of the Ocean which is one heck of a social drama. Don’t miss it.

The same cannot be said, however, about The Prince of Egypt which an animation version of The Ten Commandments. With the success of such films like The Lion King and The Little Mermaid and the popularity of the Cartoon Network channel there is a spurt in the output of animation films. All the world seems to be an animation stage but only few of them are successful. Also a subject of the magnitude of The Ten Commandments is not one that can fit into this genre without being trivialised, to say nothing of the title which works as a disguise.

But having accepted it as an experiment it doesn’t seem to work too well. May be the parting of the Red Sea is impressive and so are the other miracles, like the walking stick turning into a cobra. But how does the chariot race come in. That was in Ben-Hur which came later. Hollywood always wants to cash in on these incidents.

Ramses (bald, probably as a tribute to Yul Brynner) and Moses start off well as brothers and good friends till Moses comes to know of his parentage. This wedge is hard to overcome. After all he is a Hebrew and appointed to free the Hebrews. The Pharaoh tries to explain the situation, but in vain. The voices of well known performers doesn’t help much and the animation emotions do not measure up to the standard of The Lion King.

Pacing is important. The result is for all its hype and intended success The Prince of Egypt never really takes off. Guess some films, like Psycho too, just cannot be remade.