This review is not as 'positive' as Goldfinger's, and is from a new spy by the name of Agent G for Gonzo! Agent G seems to be remarkably well read (script-wise) with what's going on in the biz, so his/her review is to be looked at closely. So here ya go...
First time writer, long time reader. I was thrilled this weekend when I managed to bag advance passes to a screening of the new JOHN TRAVOLTA flick, "A CIVIL ACTION." The film is based on the book by JONATHAN HERR and a script by STEVEN ZALLIAN who also directed. I having read the script over a year ago didn't remember much. That was a plus and a minus. A plus cause it seemed fresh going into the film, and a minus cause I didn't remember it at all. Most of the great scripts that I have read have translated, hung on, and become some of my favorite films. (Very Bad Things, Pleasantville, Bulworth, Rounders, etc.) This I had no hype for beyond the mediocre trailer.
We'll, ...the trailer was right. The film was mediocre at best. To say that this is a bad film would be a lie. It isn't. I checked the VERY GOOD box. It has potential. But when you think a movie at 2 hrs is to long there is a problem somewhere. In my opinion the movies conviction itself is the problem. Based on a true story the film is so true to life it's depressing. The worst part of all is there is no justice, and for a movie like this to have no true hero is a tragic outcome. This is a story that should be told.
John Travolta is the lead, JAN SCHLICHTMANN, a attorney and one of the 10 most eligable bachlors in the city. As the story opens up he's made out to be your basic money grubbing, ambulence chasing, asshole attorney. He pleads out a case, beds a female, (Early morning aftermath present) and goes on a talk-show to promote himself as the master of his universe. This is where he gets the call that changes everything. A confused and sad woman who claims he let a case go ignored. The case, a group of young kids dead by possible toxic pollution and infected drinking water. He immediately seeing no money from this case, tosses it and the people who are claiming foul play by a local leather manfacturing company, out the door. Of course a stunningly funny turn of events turns into a massive money making opportunity when he finds out that the plant respon- sible for the possible leakings is a subsidiary of a major company that distributes everything from POP TARTS to DIET SODA and all in between. The greed in him takes over and things get under way.
Naturally somewhere along the line his morals that never seemed to exist before take over and the money is a back seat to making right something that was wrong. We have been here before. Nothing new to the formula.
Of the entire supporting cast I can honestly say not one of the great actors stuck in my head after. WILLIAM H. MACY who spends most of the movie groveling for money, which gets seriously overdone, is just there. He deconstructs as a character but I could careless. TONY SHAOLHOUB, who I am thrilled to see everywhere for some reason is just there. As well as ROBERT DUVALL, who seems to lately be playing the same role in every major picture he is in. JOHN LITHGOW, KATHLEEN QUINLAN, JAMES GANDLOFINI, even SIDNEY POLLACK manage to show up in roles that could have been played by anyone. Everyone seems so real it's boring would be a good way to put it. I felt so unsatisfied with some quality of the acting that I can't put my fingers on my feeling. That isn't a healthy response in my opinion.
The TRIAL seems to take forever and ends up nowhere. The charaters outside DUVALL take no real shape. They just are. The story itself just takes it's time. Everytime I had the feeling like it was gonna start to move it didn't. Overall I left the theater entertained but not in a good way. I guess I just expected more than was displayed in the end.
As it is now I wouldn't recommend it to anyone on the already packed Christmas Day. Between THIN RED LINE and STEPMOM I think we have our drama well covered. BLAST FROM THE PAST & PATCH ADAMS for our funny bones. And THE FACULTY to dare I say, "Make us scream." I have read the scripts for all and can say if all the others are sold out, maybe it's worth a try. Till then i'm only gonna hype MEET JOE BLACK which I get a look at this upcoming week
You can call me: AGENT G for GONZO.
