Geronimo: An American Legend

The second half of Walter Hill was much better thank God. You get a good script from excellent screenwriter/director John Milius (Rome, Red Dawn, Conan the Barbarian) with limited chances for Hill to fuck it up. Though the title would lead you to believe it is about Geronimo (Wes Studi), the story is told from a 2nd Lt. Davis (Matt Damon) fresh from West Point. He is put under the direct command of 1st Lt. Charles Gatewood (Jason Patric). Gatewood and Davis are charged with bringing Geronimo in to Brig. Gen. George Crook (Gene Hackman - the fuckin') to surrender. Geronimo's warriors would be the last to go into the reservation system while the US continued to push the American Indians away from their homes. Something happens on the reservation to start a revolt and soon Geronimo is back on the loose.

Altough you never really get to the heart of the Indian exploitation, you do get an excellent surface piece that manages to hit all the main points. Hill is able to sit back and not do anything too distractive to the narration. This represents a great change from his earlier work that would later again be touched on in Broken Trail.

In the description of the film, I wasn't even able to get to the greatness that is Robert Duvall as the tracker Al Sieber. Duvall manages to create a compelling character out of what seems like a stock role. In fact, each performance propels this film out of run of the mill status. For Gatewood, Patric brings the same underplayed, gentleness to the character as he lent to August March. Patric has become the king of understated roles, but that's for another column... Even Damon shows flashes of why, given the chance, he can really act. Also... look for a nice cameo from Kevin Tighe as a general who takes up the search for Geronimo later on. You'd probably recognize Tighe best as Locke's father on Lost or as the bar owner in the action classic Roadhouse.

Geronimo was Hill's follow up to the bomb Trespass. Both films did poorly in theatres despite being worthy of viewing. I liked Trespass a little bit better no doubt due to Bill Paxton and the Demon Knight himself William Sadler as the leads. Still Geronimo marks a key point in Walter Hill's career of direction.

75/100

Speaking of cameos... I almost forgot about Stephen McHattie popping in as well. McHattie is the diet Coke version of Lance Henriksen... right down to the gravely voice.

The Bourne Ultimatum

I was very critical of the last Bourne entry after the directing chair was handed over to Paul Greengrass, but I had no idea was he had planned for Bourne 3. The movie starts off as Bourne (Matt Damon) continues to have partial flashbacks of how he when he was recruited. Bourne sets out on an attempt to reclaim his identity and runs right into the plans of the Deputy Director of the CIA played by David Strathairn. Obviously shit hits the fan as Strathairn tries to cover his ass and his project Operaton Blackbriar.

Blackbriar built on the Treadstone Project of which Bourne was a participant. Joan Allen is back Pamela Landy. Landy thinks that maybe Bourne isn't who she thought he was and tries to help him. Also back is perpetually wooden Julia Stiles (she lost some thigh weight)and their are hints to a possibly relationship between her character Nicky and Bourne. Thank God Bourne couldn't remember that - I don't need any flashbacks to sex scenes with Julia Stiles. Scott Glenn joins the cast as the head of the CIA and unfortunately doesn't get to do much.

The Bourne Ultimatum gives you about 45 minutes of setup that is nicely paced and well acted. The next hour gives you as solid as of an action film as you can get these days. Greengrass seems to have heeded my advice (impossible, but it inflates my ego) and goes all out here. The budget clearly shows for example on the sweeping motorcycle chase through Tangiers. Spectacular sound and editing show you why this film picked up three Oscars on Sunday. Greengrass still has that shaky cam, but does a much better job of pulling out and showing the bigger picture.

I was very impressed with this film overall. It isn't too often that you get a film in the sequel category that winds up as good or maybe even better than the orginal. Wisely casting David Strathairn helps too with the loss of the indispensible Chris Cooper of the first film. Greengrass goes out guns blazing here with an exciting film that neither lags or lacks. This film feels like how Crank should have been.

100/100

* Eventually I'll get through all the films I want to watch from 2007 and get the best list out there. This will no doubt be on it.

The Bourne Supremacy

The Bourne Identity was pretty much the perfect action movie and it set the expectations very high for a sequel. Unfortunately, the bastards at the studio couldn't convince Doug Liman (Swingers, Go) to come back and follow up his masterpiece - enter Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday). Greengrass is a departure from the skillful camera shots of Doug Liman. Liman would set up and do these clean sweeping shots that captured everything. Greengrass tends to do that annoying steadicam crap because he isn't used to working with the budget of something like The Bourne Supremacy. Lots of critics seem to be lauding him for it although when I watch an action picture with some dollars behind it I want to see everything. If I wanted quick cuts and half shots I'll watch some shitty Seagal film.

That being said... Greengrass manages to not completely ruin the film. Watching now on a tv instead of the big screen, you don't get quite as jarred from the constant cuts. Bourne finds himself the target of Abbott (Brian Cox) who is trying to tie up the loose ends from the Treadstone project. Abbot sends an assassin (Karl Urban) to kill Bourne, but he fails and instead kills Marie (Franka Potente). This provokes Bourne to come out of hiding to find out what is going on.


Damon is still up to the psysical task, although when the hack director Greengrass... you don't really see everything. In fact, all the action sequences are toned down. There is a ridiculously boring car chase late in the picture that has you checking your watch.

Practically the only thing that saves this mess is the actors. Joan Allen is quite effective as an agent trying to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding Bourne. Brian Cox always classes up a film - heck if he can do that with Super Troopers he can do anything. Urban is always better when he doesn't talk unlike the Chronicles of Riddick - which exposed his terrible acting. But you do feel the lack of Chris Cooper here. Cooper is that rare actor who always gives you more than what is in the script.

So bottom line... the film is watchable, but hardly worthy of the accolades given to it. I thought it would be wise to rewatch the second installment so I can try to enjoy the third one. Hopefully, Greengrass learns you can do more with an $80 million budget than the half-assed effort he gives here.

60/100