RANSOM
Directed by Ron Howard,
story by Cyril Hume and Richard Maibaum, screenplay by Richard Price and
Alexander Ignion, starring Mel Gibson, Renee Russo, Gary Sinise, Delroy
Lindo, Lili Taylor
Trap: First of all, I’ll skip
the obvious jokes about Opie going over to the dark side, since when you
get right down to it this is the sort of big, star-driven, high-concept
vehicle that usually comes to mind when you hear the phrase "A Ron
Howard Film." Or I do, at any rate, I don’t know about you…..
Bluesy:
Well, I admit the teaming of Richard Price and Ron Howard is rather peculiar.
I sort of wonder how these two got along to make this film. They obviously
didn’t hate each other, since Price did a cameo in the movie… but I really
did feel a pull going on in the tone of the film. The actual storyline,
dialogue and dark twists were going one way, while the visuals and performances
seemed so light.
Trap: I don’t know how
much Price contributed to this film in any case, since this sort of plot
is pretty much by-the-numbers. We are quickly introduced to Mel Gibson,
self-made millionaire airline owner, living the proverbial charmed life
with his wife, Renee Russo, and soon-to-be-kidnapped son. When the inevitable
happens, he calls the FBI, they coach him on how to deal with the kidnappers,
advising him to just pay – all standard operating procedure for this type
of situation, and one we’ve seen countless times before – it’s a story
that pretty much writes itself. Just as inevitably, however, the first
attempt to drop off the money goes awry. At this point the mechanical nature
of the plot begins to assert itself and as a result the film goes off the
rails, quickly degenerating into a succession of scenes of Gibson and his
nemesis yelling at each other over the phone.
Bluesy: Funny,
I didn’t see this film quiet that way. I liked the plot twists and turns.
In fact, I was pleased to see this wasn’t the run of the mill kidnapping
schtick. When Gibson points out "Hey, I can’t just pay this guy because
there’s no reason for him to not kill my kid then. I know I wouldn’t let
him go," I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised. First, for someone
to finally say something that makes SENSE in a kidnapping film (it’s always
the victim playing a very passive role, as far as my recollection) and
second, I really liked the analogy made between Gibson and the kidnapper.
What I did have a problem with was that this film didn’t go far enough
in this direction. It kept hinting at a dark side, but the style in which
the film was shot just wasn’t dark enough for me. I mean that figuratively
and literally. This was a film shot with way too much light. It wasn’t
moody enough. It was a bit too slick. That being said, while I think it
could’ve been better, it wasn’t a bad film. I actually enjoyed the twists
and what was almost achieved in it. I guess it wet my appetite for something
even more.
Trap: I
see your point – the film hints at something darker but never quite delivers.
There’s mention early on of Gibson’s having been under investigation for
bribing a union representative in order to forestall a strike, then having
escaped punishment, and the kidnapper resenting him for it. We’re set up
to think that there’s something personal between them that never really
materializes. This, like, the other situation you mentioned, still seems
grafted on, rather than an organic part of the plot. I’ll admit it was
moderately involving watching the changes being rung on a familiar situation,
wondering how they’ll try to make the cliches fresh, but I never really
felt myself involved in it. Mel Gibson gets to wear a concerned expression
and yell a lot – which for some people constitutes capital-a "Acting",
I guess – but I never got the sense that his was a real flesh-and-blood
character I could care about.
Bluesy:
Well… I didn’t feel as strongly against this one as you did. Warts and
all, I still liked it.
