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Hollywood, if something seems like it's too good to be true, then
that's because it probably is. Case in point is Minority Report,
the highly-anticipated first collaboration between superstar Tom Cruise
and Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg. What should have been
the cinematic equivalent of a sure thing ends up being more like a
mixed bag. There's no doubt that the sci-fi thriller is an ambitious,
complex, visually stunning and periodically exciting piece of futuristic
film noir, but it's dragged down by a heartless, contrived and very
talky storyline that's missing the emotional hook that it sorely needs.
The year is 2054, and murder has been virtually eliminated in the
nation's capital by the Pre-Crime Division, which uses clairvoyant
psychics (called "Pre-Cogs") to see the future and prevent crimes
before they happen. Chief John Anderton (Tom Cruise) spearheaded
the project after the tragic loss of his son 6 years earlier, but
on the eve of a vote to take it to a national level, he has to defend
the system from a nosy Justice official (Colin Farrell) who is looking
for flaws. Anderton fully believes that Pre-Crime works...until
he becomes its number one suspect. Alone and on the run, he has
just 36 hours to find out who he's going to kill--and why--if he
is going to prevent the future from happening.
After channeling the ghost of Stanley Kubrick for last year's post-apocalyptic
fairy tale A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Steven Spielberg
goes back to the future for another arty, but ominous look at things
to come. This time around, he gives the film a grittier look that's
filled with disturbing images of kidnapping, mutilation and murder,
all of which are accentuated by the same faded color scheme that
he used for Saving Private Ryan. Certain scenes also recall
the dark cinematography of Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, which
makes perfect sense, since both films were adapted from stories
by Philip K. Dick.
The problem is that where A.I. was cerebral, riveting and
sublime, Minority Report is cold, convoluted and confusing.
Actually, it's almost too hard to follow to be fully appreciated
the first time around. The story feels like it's being over-explained
with too much information, and while everything does come together
in the end, the effect of the payoff will depend upon how much moviegoers
are able to retain along the way.
The troubled script for Minority Report underwent a number
of revisions over the years, so it's surprising that the end result
is basically a loose, futuristic remake of The Fugitive--but
with very little of that film's humor. Both movies feature characters
who are on the run from the law and must single-handedly prove their
innocence after being framed by the person closest to them. In addition
(and without giving too much away) they even have similar endings.
Tom Cruise continues to push the limits of his talents--and his
fan base--by taking on challenging roles. After redefining himself
as a sleazy self help guru in 1999's Magnolia, and after
going through an emotional roller-coaster ride in last year's mind-trippy
Vanilla Sky, Cruise takes on the tortured, flawed hero of
John Anderton with similar devotion. But while Cruise pushes himself
to his physical limits along the lines of Mission: Impossible
2, he's psychologically stuck in a gritty funk that keeps his
character from taking an emotional hold.
If there's any performance that stands out, it's Colin Farrell as
the Justice official who's hot on Cruise's tail. After critically
acclaimed performances in Tigerland and Hart's War,
Farrell once again loses his thick Irish brogue for a dead-on American
accent. More importantly, he holds his own against Cruise and displays
a strong sense of confidence that takes his scene-stealing performance
to the level of Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive.
The rest of Minority Report is peppered with supporting performances
that are intriguing at best. Oscar-nominated actress Samantha Morton
(Sweet & Lowdown) plays the most gifted of the Pre-Cogs with
haunting effectiveness, while the legendary Max von Sydow plays
the administrator of the Pre-Crime division with hidden corruptiveness.
Kathryn Morris gives an effective performance as Cruise's separated
wife, but since she doesn't even make her first brief appearance
until well past the film's halfway mark, her pro-active presence
at the end doesn't make much sense and feels contrived.
Like 1995's similarly gritty 12 Monkeys, Minority Report
dares to ask the question, can you change the future, and more importantly,
should you even try? Well, as far as the present goes, Steven Spielberg
and Tom Cruise continue to change and re-define themselves, even
if it's with mixed results. While Minority Report has its
flaws and may not be for everybody, it is a challenging piece of
filmmaking, especially for those movie lovers who choose to run
back and see it again.
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