|
|
|
Be Cool
Movie Stats & Links |
| Starring: |
John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Vince
Vaughn, Cedric the Entertainer, Harvey Keitel, The Rock |
| MPAA Rated: |
PG-13 |
| Released By: |
MGM |
| Web Site: |
www.becoolmovie.com |
| Kiddie Movie: |
The story is
adult. Leave them at home. |
| Date Movie: |
Good for everyone. |
| Gratuitous Sex: |
It's PG-13, so
mostly just suggestive. |
| Gratuitous
Violence: |
There is some
shooting. |
| Action: |
No chase scenes,
really. |
| Laughs: |
I laughed a lot. |
| Memorable
Scene: |
Any scene with Sin
and his posse. |
| Memorable
Quote: |
"Unless you want
an 'R' rating, you can only use the 'F' word once. I say
'Fuck that.' That's it." (Editor's note: And
that was it for the use of the 'F' word) |
| Directed By: |
F. Gary Grey |
| Produced By: |
Danny DeVito,
Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, David Shamberg |
|
|
Be Cool
A Movie Review |
|
 |
I don’t know why, maybe because I never read any books by
Elmore Leonard and I haven’t seen "Get Shorty," so I didn’t
have any preconceived notions of how the movie should be,
and even though John Travolta didn’t seem that great in this
movie, I enjoyed "Be Cool." From the others
reviews I've seen, it seems that there goes some
more of my movie review credibility out the window.
Anyway, here’s the story…
Travolta plays Chili Palmer. It seems he’s pretty much
sick of being in the movie business and thinks that maybe
the music business is where he should stick his nose,
especially since he is acquainted with a rising talent,
Linda Moon (Christina Milian), and also the recently widowed
record executive Edie (Uma Thurman), whose husband, Tommy
(James Woods) was gunned down during a meeting with Chili.
Chili takes Linda away from Raji (Vince Vaughn who has yet
to let me down), her manager who thinks he’s black and
totally overacts the part. And then the trouble starts.
Like normal, things don’t always go as easy as you would
like. It seems Linda has already signed a contract with Raji
and his boss, music dude Nick (Harvey Keitel), so Chili has
to figure out a way to resolve that issue. Also, it appears
Edie’s record company owes producer Sin (Cedric the
Entertainer) a big chunk of change, but sadly, the company
is broke and Sin is threatening that some heads will role if
he doesn’t get his cash. There’s also some Russian dudes who
aren’t too happy with Chili, and the feds think somehow
Chili has some information on the mob in town. Who you gonna
call when things are this out of control? Of course, you’re
gonna call Steven Tyler, whose clothes you used to wash, and
he will somehow save the day. Yes, that is correct, you call
Steven Tyler, get him to listen to a tape of Linda, and
suddenly things work out in the end. And, oh yea, toss in a
gay, Samoan, "wants to be an actor" bodyguard named Elliot
(The Rock).
Look, there are way to many plot things going on to have
me write a full synopsis, but yes, all of them are
intertwined in one way or another, and I thought it was
marvelous, especially when it all came full-circle as Nick
opens the package at the pawn shop.
I don’t know if this was the intent, and I think it’s the
reason I liked this movie so much, but for me this was a
movie making fun of the entire music, and for what it’s
worth, movie industries. There was Raji, totally overacting
the white dude who wants to act black, complete with the
red, pimp outfit, and unable to command sounding street. Sin
and his gangsta’s so overplayed the gangsta stereotype it
was hilarious, and the Russian mob was even over-the-top.
Not to mention The Rock who is my first pick for an Oscar
next year because even if you have no interest in this
movie, he is freakin’ hilarious and a reason to see this
movie. All that, and I think I’m back in love with Uma
Thurman and I’m not really sure why.
I took the movie for a campy look at Hollywood and had a
good time with it. You might not, and obviously a lot of
other critics didn’t see it the same way, but I know a lot
of people around me were laughing. It’s 4 stars out of 5 for
me. Maybe don’t try to take the movie as seriously as other
people I suppose.
That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!!
L8R!!! |
