FORD KEEPS UNEVEN 'HOMICIDE' LOOSE.Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic ALTHOUGH the murder case, the buddy comedy and the crazy L.A. lifestyle satire in ``Hollywood Homicide'' are not very new, clever or even interesting, there is a certain - sorry for the SoCal stereotype - laid- back likability to the whole underwhelming un·der·whelm tr.v. un·der·whelmed, un·der·whelm·ing, un·der·whelms To fail to excite, stimulate, or impress: enterprise. Some of it is in the details; director Ron Shelton, who took a much tougher look at the LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. in his previous release ``Dark Blue,'' co-wrote the script with retired detective Robert Souza, and the vet's experience shows in the moments of the movie that don't trade on the obvious. But ``Homicide's'' real saving grace comes from an even less likely source. Harrison Ford is enchantingly loose and grumpily wry as Joe Gavilan. An aging master investigator whose personal life is a shambles, Ford maintains his usual cool, but expertly shades his performance with just the right amount of controlled desperation, creeping decrepitude de·crep·i·tude n. The quality or condition of being weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use. Noun 1. and survivor humor. It's a rare pleasure to see the big movie star actually act up a storm, and do it with the same economy of gesture that makes him such a natural screen presence when he's not trying half as hard. As for the rest of the movie, well ... Gavilan, who's up to his ears in debt and struggling to moonlight his way out as a real-estate agent Real-Estate Agent A person with a state/provincial license to represent a buyer or a seller in a real-estate transaction in exchange for commission. Most agents work for a real-estate broker or realtor. , has a half-cocked new partner, Josh Hartnett's K.C. Calden. While hardly the thorn Eddie Murphy Edward "Eddie" Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an Academy Award nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and comedian. He was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984, and has worked as a stand-up comedian. or Mel Gibson Noun 1. Mel Gibson - Australian actor (born in the United States in 1956) Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson, Gibson U.S.A., United States, United States of America, US, USA, America, the States, U.S. poked in their older, wiser teammates' sides, the kid's heart isn't in police work. It's obvious that he joined the force because his dad, who was killed in the line of duty In the Line of Duty may refer to:
Anyway, when a young rap act gets shot up at a Boulevard club, Gavilan and Calden take the case. The investigation points, much too directly, to a Suge Knight/P. Diddy composite (Isaiah Washington). There's also an Internal Affairs Internal affairs may refer to:
Actually, the plot's few intriguing twists and turns have to do with Gavilan and Calden's off-duty activities. The older guy is doggedly trying to broker the sale of an elderly producer's mansion (Martin Landau is pitch perfect in black, blockish block·ish adj. Resembling a block, as in shape. block  ish·ly adv.block Lew Wasserman Lew Wasserman (March 15, 1913 - June 3, 2002) was a Hollywood agent and studio executive credited with first creating and then taking apart the studio system in a career spanning more than six decades. eyeglasses eyeglasses or spectacles, instrument or device for aiding and correcting defective sight. Eyeglasses usually consist of a pair of lenses mounted in a frame to hold them in position before the eyes. ) to the owner of the murder club (Master P). He's also carrying on an ever-so-slightly-kinky affair with radio psychic Ruby (Lena Olin), a cop groupie who just broke up with the Internal Affairs creep (Bruce Greenwood) who's out to get Gavilan. Calden, meanwhile, would just like to get some agents and producers to attend his showcase performance of ``A Streetcar Named Desire A Streetcar Named Desire may refer to:
``Hollywood Homicide'' has one other effective source of suspense: its roster of cameo luminaries. Guessing when and how Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, Frank Sinatra Jr., Eric Idle, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kurupt, Robert Wagner and the like will pop up becomes a game to have fun with while other aspects of the movie are failing to engage. Speaking of which, Shelton does try to stage his two key chase sequences with mild subversive wit. The one involving the Venice Canals has a certain no-tech charm. The big car-subway-bicycle-helicopter climax is just overproduced, and old-hat besides. Didn't ``The Italian Job'' remake run something like this past Hollywood & Highland last month? And that's just one more reason why ``Hollywood Homicide,'' to paraphrase another L.A. cliche, seems so two weeks ago. Bob Strauss, (818) 713-3670 bob.strauss(at)dailynews.com HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE - Two and one half stars (PG-13: violence, sex, language) Starring: Harrison Ford, Josh Hartnett, Lena Olin, Bruce Greenwood. Director: Ron Shelton. Running time: 1 hr. 51 min. Playing: Wide release. In a nutshell: Not much of a cop thriller and not much of a comedy, but an enjoyable opportunity for Harrison Ford to tweak his heroic image. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Josh Hartnett, left, and Harrison Ford play LAPD detectives who, when not dodging bullets, are trying to succeed at second careers in ``Hollywood Homicide.'' |
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