Hey folks, I still haven't seen this film, though it is one of the movies I'll be reviewing on Siskel & Ebert later this month. The trailer kind of made me smile, but not really all that tempting. However, Patch had her one good eye on the film, and her switchblade ready for editing... but she really enjoyed it. Take a looksee...
They had at least two screenings of this film (that I know of) last month, so I've been waiting for a review to appear, but now that the release date is just a few weeks away, and they haven't been doing much to promote it (couldn't the trailers at least be as ubiquitous as the ones for Never Been Kissed have been over the past two months?), I figured I should contribute my own.
Nick Falzone (John Cusack), an air traffic controller, is the best at what he does. He has a beautiful wife (Cate Blanchett), and everyone respects him. Then, a new controller, Russell (Billy Bob Thornton) is transferred to Falzone's station, and he's the best at what he does, and he has a beautiful wife (Angelina Jolie), and everyone respects him, plus he's quite a bit more secure with himself than Falzone is.
*** semi plot spoilers (but not the ending) follow ***
Falzone's getting sensitive about his position as number one in everything he does, so a chance encounter with Russell's wife in the supermarket leads to a sort of one-night stand between them. This is the beginning of Falzone's downward spiral; when he finds out Russell's wife told Russell about their encounter, he starts getting paranoid about Russell intending to sleep with *his* wife, which leads him to start losing his focus on everything; his job, his marriage, life in general.
*** end semi-spoilers ***
Despite this rather dry plot summary, I want to stress how *wonderful* this movie is. It's one of Cusack's best roles, and one of his best performances. Blanchett, looking (and sounding) much different than she has in her three previous films released in the US, is particularly outstanding, as usual, and Thornton is appropriately enigmatic as Russell, proving again his amazing diversity. Jolie has a relatively small role, but does some of her best work yet.
The director, Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco, Enchanted April) has a track record that's a little uneven, but this is, IMO, far and away his best work. Pushing Tin is a funny, touching, effective drama that avoids falling into chick-flick territory. Go see it! It's the best movie I've seen this year so far by a long shot.
