A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Basic

Date Viewed: 3/29/03

Details:

John Travolta

Connie Nielsen

Samuel L. Jackson

Brian Van Holt

Timothy Daly

Giovanni Ribisi

Director: John McTiernan

Score: +

The Review: Military movies seem to be in vogue this month: first Tears of the Sun, then The Hunted, now Basic. And not a courtroom in sight. This time the location is Panama, with the various U.S. bases starting to close down in preparation for the canal's passage to new ownership, but the site is still good for training Army Rangers. Jackson is the senior drill sergeant, a hard driving son-of-a-bitch that is more hated and feared than respected. On the eve of a major hurricane, in the driving rain, he takes a helicopter full of recruits into the jungle for a training session, but only two of them return, and those amid live gunfire. The base's chief warrant officer (Daly) enlists Travolta, an old friend and ex-Ranger with a fuzzy past and currently a civilian "on leave" from the DEA, to assist the assigned interrogator (Nielsen, who starts out both hostile and uncooperative) in trying to figure out what the hell happened.

Multi-layered, convoluted, twisted, not a little confusing; good though. The movie's structure is a bit daunting, with much of the story told in flashback, and the first hints of confusion coming when you perceive the same situation being described from two different perspectives, with different outcomes and rationales. The cinematography is a bit muddy at times, complicated by the storm's thunder and lightning flashes, and by nighttime in the jungle. There are sufficient twists and turns to keep you paying attention, and several points where you think the movie is over -- and you are misled. There's a bit of chemistry that starts to develop between Nielsen and Travolta, but it's Travolta who carries it off with his goofy smile, great timing, mood changes, and flashes of insight.

(29-Mar-03)

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