Flint-13

I didn't bother to read reviews. I saw it listed on pay TV and looked at names like Coen, Clooney, Malkovich, Pitt and McDormand. It had to be a winner.

No.

The script was weird. Things didn't connect well and there was superfluous stuff that didn't move the story forwards. Even in a dark comedy, there needs to be structure.

Perhaps the first scene and the last scene were the best in the whole movie, but neither made much sense on their own, or together.

I'm glad it was on TV, because I was able to feed the dogs and make coffee and do a few chores while it ran. I could still follow the movie (I almost typed "story") and figure out what everyone was doing, but it still wasn't entertaining. I think I chuckled twice.

So, it set me thinking: how can top names get together and make something so bad? Then I remembered "Ocean's Twelve."

Having read the screenplay on Project Greenlight, I was keen to see how it turned out. It was true to the script, which is what one would hope when the director is also the writer, but there were scenes which could have been deleted without diminishing the impact of the film. When I read the script, I got the feeling of a comic-book story and there's nothing wrong with this--gritty, tough, seamy underside of a big city. Somehow the film didn't quite carry this across and seemed to be trying to add more credibility to what could be just a good, slightly-clichéd action flick. One thing that I thought was that it was shot on video. Some of the scenes definitely lacked the sharp crispness of film and I was surprised to see the Kodak logo in the end credits. I was also surprised that they could shoot it on film and keep it in the AUD1M budget. Shooting on video could have actually added a grainy dimension which would suit this film noir genre. The choice of music was as good as it gets.

I didn't read the novel, but I probably will after seeing the movie. I want to see how Phuong, the girl, is developed as a character.

Michael Caine rarely disappoints and, once again, his performance as Thomas Fowler, the jaded correspondent for the "London Times," meets expectations.

Brendan Fraser as Alden Pyle, opthalmologist, come spy, was convincing enough, but the character was slightly unbelievable.

What really disappointed me was the lack of opportunity given to Do Thi Hai Yen, as Phuong, to be anything but a bagatelle over which the men struggled to posess. Yes, possess: I really saw little emotional love expressed.

The backdrop was the decaying years of French Colonialsm in Vietnam and this was handled with skill by the cast and crew. The dynamics between the male protagonists blended well with the fighting but totally overshadowed the potential that the women could have had.

Nevertheless, it was good drama and another notch in Phllip Noyce's achievements.