Air Force One: New EmpireThe United States President and his vulnerability as a human being is getting enough exposure, thanks to Hollywood. In Air Force One you have Harrison Ford playing the rugged action hero who gets himself and the US out of a crisis by sheer dint of mental and physical ability. The President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) seems to be a nice guy, even though his undertone speech to Russian dignitaries doesn't suggest his grit and guts. He is referring to the atrocities committed by General Radek (Jurgen Prochnow) in Kazakhistan but it is Radek's men, posing as journalists, who hijack the President's plane, Air Force One, and the drama is on. Ivan Korshunov (Gary Oldman) is the terrorist in charge and a ruthless man he is.
The action is not too credible but the visuals are great and director Wolfgang Peterson (In The Line of Fire) seems to enjoy himself with the action in the air. And when Glenn Close as Vice-President Kathryn Bennett takes over, it looks as if
she's not forgotten her Cruela Devil part in 101 Dalmatians. Unintendedly funny. If one is able to turn a Nelson's eye to the heroic feats of the hero, the fare might even be enthralling. But remember Peterson also made Never Ending Story and this is another one of its kind -- an action-heavy, credibility-low entertainer.
Kiss The Girls: Sterling
The old rhyme, "Georgie Porgy pudding and pie, kissed the girls and made them cry," was later adjusted to "made them die". The latter is true in Gary Fleder's Kiss the Girls because in it the Casanova suspect targets good-looking young women and later threatens to kill them. Enter forensic detective and best-selling crime author Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman), whose niece is missing. So he has to move from Washington DC to North Carolina. Cross' best lead is Dr Kate McTiernan (Ashley Judd) who has just escaped from an encounter with the Casanova .
Kate is a kickboxing exponent and when she is told by a friend that it is a "sorry substitute
for sex," the line is relevant. Influenced by Alan J Pakula's Klute in which Jane Fonda plays the female detective Klute, Fleder wants to establish the link between sexuality and crime and he has an intricate plot and a liberal dose of suspicion. And there are so many cops swarming the place you wonder who's making a breakthrough. The screenplay is adequate and the action has the viewer engrossed. There may be a few blanks but they do not really work against the story. They only tend to confuse matters. But Fleder is in total control and is aided by a good, competent cast. Freeman proves his versatility and Judd shows traces of talent. Cary Elwes and Tony Goldwyn also provide memorable cameos in this compelling whodunnit. Don't miss it.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
