Hey folks, Harry here with a film that somehow I missed the local screening for, that opens today. Whiteboy sent in his look at it, and it seems to be pretty darn cool. Watch out for spoilers, here ya go...
Hey Harry,
Its the Whiteboy again. I sent you a short spoiler free review of Boogeyman a few weeks back, and well, I have another. This time it's Travolta's "Get Shorty" sequel, "Be Cool." This was promoted on the radio station that my wife won the tickets from as a "Secret Preview at a Secret Undisclosed Location!!!!!!" Now being that I live near Miami, the thought had crossed my mind of maybe one or two of the stars actually showing up to promote it. The Rock's hometown is Miami and he's always around somewhere it seems. Travoltas a few hours away in Jumbolair, hell if he flies hes only a few minutes away. So the prospect of getting into one of those cool movie screenings seemed like a possibility.
We arrived at the theater 45 minutes early of course to stand in line and wait. Part of the problem with these free screenings, is that as the retirement community passes by, they stop to harass everyone in line for a half a ticket so that they can get in. They have no idea what its for, but they know its free and that's all that really matters in the end. So after listening to wave after wave of retirees fresh out of the early bird ask repeatedly for a half a ticket from the same people and getting the same "no" response, it was finally time to go in. We had seen the radio crew bringing in sound equipment, and there was even some kind of press covering the event, complete with video camera and all. It looked as though we might be in for a treat.
As we approach the theater the movie is being screened in, we can hear music playing. I must say, this was the first time I had been to the club inside a movie theater. Anyhow, as we get to the door where they are taking tickets, we are searched with a metal detector wand. Wow! I have to empty my pockets and my wife has to have her purse inspected just to see a movie! There must be something special right? You would think, or at least I would and did think there was something going on. After getting the popcorn and soda my wife decided we needed for the movie, I was inspected again. I was able to overhear a conversation between the manager of the theater and some guy. Turns out the guy was a journalist for the Miami Herald. He was flashing his press badge and all to get in, but the poor sap had no ticket! Wow, security is tighter at the damn movies than at any airport I have been to in the past 4 years. Osama ain't getting into this movie!
As I take my seat in the club/theater the DJ is busy mixing records. They do their usual self promoting paraphernalia hand outs making people act like idiots for a cheap $2 T-Shirt or dime store key chain. One white guy is so crazed for this stuff that he dances like a chimpanzee in front of the entire theater for a key chain. The joke was on him though as they gave him nothing except an excuse for the girl he was with to forget she was with him. Uh Oh, someone's grabbed a mic and is talking. Turns out theres no Rock or Travolta, no producer, nope. There's some local record label there promoting a few artists that all have 1 word names. They do a "Live from the Apollo" scoring system of who gets the loudest cheers to decide a winner. The prize was a Be Cool poster signed by Christina Milian.
*******I will try to keep this as spoiler free as possible.********
Ok onto the movie itself. What can be said about this movie without giving to much away? For starters, its just like Get Shorty, only better. If you liked Get Shorty, you'll love Be Cool. Its starts out with what can only be considered a playful nod to Pulp Fiction. Travolta and James Woods are driving having a conversation in the same vein as Travolta and Jackson, trivial, nothing really involving, just conversation. We learn that Travolta's getting out of the movie biz. He doesn't like the way Hollywood Execs are not honest about being dishonest, unlike his old career as a shylock. Woods apparently has an idea for one last movie before Chili(Travolta) gets out of the biz about, of all things, Athen's(Woods) life as a Music Exec and a desperate girl trying to get her big break and land a recording contract. This sets up the rest of the movie. It also introduces the Russian Mafia and their toupee wearing leader, who also happens to be a very bad shot. A by-product of the scene sets up a running gag similar to the mini-van in Get Shorty.
Next Chili winds up at the Viper Room where he witnesses the song and slutty dance routine of The Chicks, which includes a slutty blonde, a slutty Asian and an innocent, yet still slutty looking, Linda Moon(Christina Milian). The girls are managed by a pimped out looking and jive talking Raji(Vince Vaughn). Now, I love this guy. Every role I have ever seen Vaughn in, I love. He is just a great comedic talent. His characters are all different yet very familiar. Probably because he nails down the part he is trying to achieve. In Made, he was a wannabe gangster living the Mafioso life in his head. Here he is a white pimp. He speaks with all the -izzies that Snoop Dogg does and then some. His slang doesn't feel old and tired like some stuffy white guy wrote it based on what he saw in a Sprite commercial. No, Vince Vaughn did his homework. To tell you just how accurate his dialogue was, let me coin a phrase he used when talking to the Rock, "I smell you." If you are thinking literally, then your ear is not as close to the streets as Vaughns was to properly use that term.
Back to the movie. Raji's bodyguard, Elliot, is an afro wearing "The Rock," who is apparently gay, an aspiring actor, an aspiring singer and has a problem working his two way messenger. Duane Johnson aka The Rock is another guy I am starting to like a lot. He started off as another action star chipped off the Governators block. He proves here that he is capable of being a three dimensional actor, and puts forth a very hysterical performance. All that's really left for him to tackle is a good drama, and I really think he can do it.
Raji and Elliot work for, or according to Raji, with Nick Carr (Harvey Keitel) who is head of his own record label, Carrousel. Of course, he and Chili go way back, and he's none to happy about Chili getting involved with his artist, Moon. Chili has taken her to get signed by Athens' wife Edie(Uma Thurman) who has her own record label that she co-owned with her husband. Along the way we are introduced to Sin LaSelle (Cedric the Entertainer) who is a producer who manages a rap group named DUB MDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction). I have no idea where they found these guys, but it looks as though they hired an NFL team's Defensive Linemen and Linebackers to play the roles. They all tote guns and wear bulletproof vests, but I have no clue why. They are big enough to be scary without the guns and also big enough to withstand and bullets less than a 12 gauge double ought round. Their front man is Dabu (Andre 3000 from Outkast) who also totes a gun and is extremely trigger happy.
LaSelle appears to be a very uppity, snooty black man in the white extremely upper class suburbs who is proud of his accomplishments. He makes his daughter pancakes from scratch with cinnamon added and fresh strawberries for breakfast. When his daughter turns her nose up at the lovely breakfast, he reminds his daughter of his child hood and "sugar sandwiches." Of course, under the surface of the Martha Stewart father is the record industry's own record sales through extortion and violence persona known as Suge Knight. Watching him flip back and forth between the roles is good stuff. Also in another nod to Pulp Fiction, he has a baddest motherfucker alive aka Samuel L Jackson monologue moment.
All of these characters of course cross, double cross and un cross each other left and right. There are several "hits" and several failed "hits." Theres even a few tongue in cheek scenes with Steve Tyler. No one seemed to be phoning in their lines. All the acting was top notch. Andre 3000 has a good launchpad to start his acting career trading lines with Travolta in his first movie. The Rock proved to be more than just muscles and raised eyebrow, although the eyebrow does make an appearance here. Uma had a solid performance as did Travolta. Keitel was the Delroy Lindo of this movie and he played it well. Vaughn was hilarious throughout the entire movie. Cedric entertained as his name implied. And Tom Hanks even has a guest appearance in this movie, though I doubt he will be credited for it.
Overall, I liked the movie a lot. Clocking in just under 2 hours, it honestly didn't seem that long. The pacing was good, no scenes seemed to drag on for longer than they needed to. Some I wanted to go on for a bit longer just to see what more the actor could have squeezed out of the scene. Sometimes with a cast this size, people tend to get lost or over shadowed by one another. I didn't notice it happening here. Everyone put in a good performance and I think this movie will do really well.
For a few high points which may contain spoilers, read below. If you don't want to be spoiled stop now.
1. A gay Rock is a very funny Rock. The scene with the red boots is great, as is the scene with him watching his music video, oh and the scene near the end of the movie where he and Vaughn discuss getting rid of their boss..
2. We get Uma and Travolta dancing, Round 2. In another nod to Pulp Fiction, these two perform another dance number.
3. Cedric the Entertainer busting a cap in someone's ass. I never thought this day would come, but it was great!
4. The Inspire. The Cadillac of gas/electric hybrids. That says it all don't it?
5. Tom Hanks is Lovejoy. Zimm made it!
6. Christina Milian is gorgeous in her opening scene and later in her video shoot and later in her award show performance.
7. "Look at me. No really look at me." Classic.
8. Vaughn is everything Vanilla Ice tried to be, but believable instead of a joke.
-Whiteboy
