A gentle stock broker (Forest Whitaker) bets more than he can afford on a horse. A underworld muscle-man (Brendan Fraser) who mysteriously foresee the future. A pop star (Sarah Michelle Gellar) at the mercy of mafia don (Andy Garcia). A doctor (Kevin Bacon) desperately trying to save the love of his life. These are the characters occupying the canvas of this film. The individual story lines each representing a feeling: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love, and they intersect as the film proceeds in a very Crash-like fashion. Fraser and Gellar were impressive and stood out from this impressive cast. It is obvious that Fraser when given a challenging role like in The Quiet American and here, can deliver the goods. But other than for the acting there is very little to write home about. The film strains and heaves to be taken seriously as philosophical piece but the substance seems to be missing.
Rating: * *
2 comments:
I agree - with this cast, I kept waiting for some substance. Avoid this one! Both Whittaker (Last King of Scotland, Crying Game) and Fraser (Blast from the Past, Quiet..) have performed better in far more interesting films. Fraser is quite diverse; a great comic actor (Blast), he loses his personality in serious roles - Quiet American is his best dramatic part so far. One day he'll get a long-deserved Oscar nomination.
My favorite Wittaker movie is "Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai". Do check it out if you haven't seen it already.
I thought Fraser was annoying until I saw The Quiet American. Michael Caine is also amazing in the flick.
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