Sunday, May 27, 2001		Article

Men of honour captivates
Ervell E. Menezes

WHAT is it like for a Black to make it in a blatantly racist, White world? And as if that isn’t enough how does this same Black, after becoming the first Black deep sea diver and losing his limb in an accident, overcome yet another hurdle. Men of Honor is a true story of Carl Brashear (Cuba Gooding Jr) and his indomitable courage to overcome odds and become the best.

For the son of a Kentucky sharecropper, it is the way his dad was exploited that spurs him on to rise above his station and fight for his rights. "Never quit... be the best" is what his dad told him and that remains the guiding principle of his life. But along the line, Brashear has to cross swords with a number of folks, one of them being Master Chief Diver Billy Sunday (Robert De Niro), an eccentric who is at his best while challenging authority and keeps getting himself into hot water, despite being the best in his field.

When picturing true life stories, one tends to cover a vast canvas and stick to various anecdotes connected with the character, but director George Tillman Jr (who did such a fine job with Soul Food, a story about a Black family) manages to pick and choose and come out with a devastating piece of history that is sure to inspire anyone who is oppressed to surmount those obstacles.

There are times when one feels that Hollywood tends to boost purely national heroes who have little relevance to the rest of the world. But in this case, it is upholding the rights of the Blacks and weren’t the Blacks unduly oppressed in the 1950s?

Cuba Gooding Jr who first caught the eye with a compelling performance in John Singleton’s Boyz N the Hood over a decade ago is now an established black actor and in concert with Tillman Jr he fleshes out the Carl Brashear character to perfection. His change of moods, his deep angst, his grit and determination to make things happen are all exemplified in a sterling performance.

As for Robert De Niro, Billy Sunday’s is a role cut out for him. 'Goddamning' his way about, he is a man with a problem — alcohol. But much as I like De Niro and his penchant for these psychic characters, he is fast getting typecast and needs to exercise restraint.

Though the film is about deep sea diving and rescue work, three-fourths of the footage takes place above the ground. And the stories of the two protagonists Brashear and Sunday are interestingly woven around their wives. Gwen (Charlize Theron) is Sunday’s young wife while Jo (Aunjanue Ellis) is the part-time librarian who helps teach Brashear English and eventually marries him. They provide the emotional element in this dialogue-heavy movie. Dramatic relief is provided by Hal Halbrook as the boss of the US Navy Salvage School. Marshall Scott’s screenplay is adequate if a wee bit long drawn out and director Tillman Jr surely has his finger on the pulse of the real issues — racism and heroism. May be it is a bit jingoistic with its Americana card raising its head off and on but this can be overlooked in the light of the motivation it imbues in the underdog. So despite De Niro’s exaggeration and some minor cliches, Men of Honor is a film worth watching.

I wouldn’t say the same thing about Meet the Parents which is a typically brash American comedy, too physical for my liking. Now don’t we all know when you marry you don’t marry only the boy or girl in question, but the family by and large. So when you meet your prospective in-laws, you generally have to be on your best behaviour. The trouble is when you try too hard, something snaps and that’s what happens in this film.

Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) is a none-too-confident male nurse, the type who’ll fall flat on his face without even giving a hint about it. He is about to pop the question to his sweetheart Pam (Teri Polo). Her sister is to get married, so Greg and Pam are to spend the weekend with Pam’s family in New York. Not an ideal situation for a wimp like George, especially because he’ll have to encounter Pam’s eccentric dad Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro).

Greg hates cats, Jack loves them. There are more differences but director Jay Roach of Austen Powers' fame tends to make a hash of things. The humour is situational but in a short while it gets too slapstick. Once again, Robert De Niro overacts. He may have been suave in Analyze This but he struggles in this film. So does Ben Stiller who was much better in There’s Something About Mary. The net result is a weak comedy which stretches itself unduly. With a subject as potential as this they could have done much, much better. Avoidable.