Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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p1 / Movies 111' 'Hurricane' fails to stir things up by Meredith Davis Gamecock Critic . In the performance that is said to be Denzel Washington's finest to-date, ferocity, entrapment, and an earnest portrayal of boxer Rubin “Hurri cane” Carter’s life doesn’t quite entrance the way it should - because the film is left lacking. “The Hurricane,” directed by Norman Jewi som (Moonstruck), tells the true-to-life story of Carter’s battles with court, prejudice and his own psyche as he is wrongfully accused, at the peak of his athletic career, of committing a horrific triple murder late one evening in 1966. The film centeis around a young, black inner-city kid who has been temporarily taken in by a Canadian commune about 10 years later (notably Liev Schreiber, “Scream 2,” and John Hannah, “Sliding Doors”), so they can nurture and educate him in the country. At the moment he achieves literacy, he finds Carter’s au tobiography and becomes enchanted with the sto ry and the man, prompting the commune to make it their life’s work to free the jailed boxer. Ihe story itself is intriguing, glossed by Hol lywood to make it unbelievable. Carter had been denied two state court acquittals before this group of white folks entered his life to revolutionize a high-profile court case and risk their money and safety for a man they hardly knew. Even the re al-life publicity blitz that featured Bob Dylan’s song “Hurricane” couldn’t make the jury and the courts overturn the first verdict; this we know. So, the audience who is unfamiliar with the story sits in wonder, asking, what makes these people think they could? This movie encompasses nice silent shots, but “Dead Man Walking” did the whole “The jailed one allows a stranger into his heart” sequence in a more understated fashion and with much more vindication, making it a stronger delivery. This movie isn’t about understatement; it’s about con trived moments, like when Carter loses his tough guy facade and starts hanging up pictures of his new quasi-family (the Canadians and the kid) in his jail cell. Even if this did happen, make us believe it! The movie just didn’t set up scenes subtly; it doesn’t have any features comparable to such a master of this art as “The Shawshank Redemption.” It’s certainly not at that level, due to the lack of understatement, the tool which separates the good from the best. Not to fault Washington, because his portrayal of the fight scenes (for which he lost 35 pounds - his body was ripped), the prelimi nary 90 days he had to spend in the infamous prison “hole,” and the ability to age with believability, all make him worthy of at least another Academy Award nomination. Oscar-worthy and cash-worthy also encapsu late the soundtrack to this film; it’s phenomenal at the very least. It takes on a life of its own, espe cially during a quick, moving black-and-white tele vision excerpt of American slavery shown in one of the slower scenes. The bulk of the film’s success lies here, in the many technical aspects showcased that polish a film. It does everything Lee’s “Summer of Sam” aimed to do, but didn’t, emotionally involve the audience in a re-enactment of an incident so well remembered of a particular time in America. This movie demands a clear time frame for its audience, and Jewisom delivers. He shows us consistency in year transition and physical age changes, but these elements would be empty without the music. “The Hurricane” makes for fine fist-clenching during the fight scenes; the boxing spotlights are invigorating. To end on an unpopular note, Washington may have been ill-cast for this part. He’s just simply too beautiful and too good. “Hurricane” Carter is shown in the light Jewisom wants us to see, but an article in The New York Times tells us that a major discrepancy in character portrayal (again, in the writing, not the acting) disallows us to see the boxer in an accurate light, and instead one who is portrayed as, well, an almost pristine Denzel - with fighting gloves, a temper, and a racial grudge added to the mix. This film is worth seeing to some degree, but might fool some moviegoers into thinking it tells the full story. Truly, what it fails to do is resist the Hollywood cliche of taking a life story, giving it hyped-up star quality, and selling it to us, before wrapping it up .and taking it to the Oscars. Rating: Meredith Davis: 2 1/2 of 4 stars Robert Fleming: 4 of 4 Kevin Langston: 4 of 4 Courtesy of Universal Pictures Once a promising boxer, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter's (Denzel Washington) dreams are destroyed when he is sentenced to three life sentences for a crime he didn’t commit wvnitjf vr wnircftMi riLiunti Carter (Washington) meets with (from left) Sam Chaiton (Liev Schreiber), Lesra Marlin (Vicellous Shannon) and Lisa Peters (Deborah Unger) who are determined to prove his innocence. 'Supernova' super waste of money by Duke Taylor Gamecock Critic Help! Is there a lawyer out there who’s inter ested in doing pro bono work for me? I want to file a class-action lawsuit for the millions of people who suffered the harsh mental strain of this no plot, no brainer, wannabe, wanton random nudity, sci fi D movie. D for don’t waste your money, don’t get sucked in by the Oscar-winning trailer, and please don’t even glance at the title while you’re in line at the theater. I find it hard to believe that millions of people had to go hungry so that $75 million could be wast ed on staffing this misguided high school science project. Character development was nonexistent and half the cast was dead by the movie’s end any way. After seeing La Bamba in junior high, I thought Lou Diamond Phillips was the man. But Lou, come on, you could’ve done commercials or something, anything but this movie. Several components worked really hard to make this movie really bad. The fust component was the writers, David Campbell Wilson and William Mal one. The second was the actors, and the third was plot development - come to think of it, I’m not ■ sure it had one. Usually, after seeing a bad movie, I make a sly remark like, “Whoever made this movie should be shot,” but I’m not sure I’d be willing to let that happen with this movie. If everyone affiliat ed with this movie was shot, then we’d never get to hear an explanation as to why this movie had to be made, and damn... that trailer was so alluring, too. Look, I just want to wash my hands of this trau matic experience. If anyone knows how to con tact the director so I can get my money back. I’d appreciate your help. As always, though, I feel obligated, even with bad movies and misguided science projects, to sub mit a positive remark. Despite the random regen erative properties of the vampire-looking alien and the interracial floating sex scene between Angela Bassett and James Spader, the movie had some unique special effects. The alien’s fluorescent oib reminded me of the pink rock candy my friend made for me in junior high home economics. I still contend, though, that the greatest special effect would be to make this movie disappear. Rating: Duke Taylor: 1/2 or 4 Stars