Just remember folks, Harry here, and take this review as a warning about REINDEER GAMES... If the trailer hadn't already scared ya. I've heard horror stories about minds dripping from ears and puke stained back of chairs, and eyes rolled back into the skull... This has been the word I've heard about REINDEER GAMES... whereas the alleged BUZZ METER of Entertainment Weekly has it as boiling hot.... Same with LEO and THE BEACH... What the hell sort of BUZZ METER have they been paying attention to? The Gossip Queens that still believe that TITANIC was giant JUST BECAUSE OF LEONARDO? Sigh.... Alright alright... I'm breathing fine now... Anyway... Here's Light House Shines with his look at REINDEER GAMES...
REINDEER GAMES REVIEW
For the most part I really do not get to screen all that many
movies done by Dimension Films ahead of time as they tend to
screen most of their stuff in house or in other states. So naturally when
I do get invited to one of their (test) screenings I am a little bit
excited. Even more so in this case as I assumed their latest film
Reindeer Games staring Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron and Gary Sinise
was going to be great! What with the respective cast and all the positive
net buzz surrounding the film (initially speaking that is). So imagine my
surprise and utter dismay as I quickly discovered that not only is this
film bad, it's really, really bad! Much to the point that I was
apologizing profusely to the hapless group of friends I happened to drag
along with me to see this piece of schlock (Sorry again guys). As I kept
telling them that this film was going to be terrific and arguing how it
couldn't possibly be bad with such a talented cast and so on and so
fourth. Which let me tell you I really had to pay for later on, and still
am to some extent. As my friends keep thanking me for wasting two hours of
their lives that they will never get back thanks to this horrid, horrid
little film. Precisely how I think most people will feel once they've
actually seen Reindeer Games, if they even ever get to see this
film in the first place. Since it has already undergone a couple of name
changes to avoid all the negative publicity it has already garnished on
the net via individuals such as myself. A surely devastating blow to the
folks at Dimension Films since they had expected quite a lot out of
this film, seeing as it was one of their most expensive films to date ( I
think they paid like 60 million dollars or more for it).
Which they might actually be able to recoup if enough people see the film
before they hear it totally sucks or they are not too picky about their
cinema to begin with. As Reindeer Gamesinitially showed some
promise as it certainly started off well enough with a few adequately
executed scenes between the film's lead Rudy (Ben Affleck) and his prison
cell buddy Nick played by James Frain...Don't worry it's not that kind of
film I assure you. Both of whom are just days away from getting released
after serving a 3 to 5 year stint respectively for various petty crimes.
Looking forward to their upcoming release and starting their lives anew as
free men with clean slates. Which for Rudy (Affleck's car theft character)
consists of just getting home in time to have Christmas dinner with his
family, while Nick ( Frain's manslaughter character) is (very) anxiously
awaiting a meeting with Charlize Theron's character Ashley for the first
time. A incredibly hot woman he has never ever met before but has been
exchanging love letters with while in prison and plans to marry or at
least have sex with upon his eventual release. Which is around the point
where the film pretty much starts to lose it in a big way. For let's face
it my friends the guy playing Nick was way too ugly to ever get someone as
beautiful as Charlize Theron. As there is no way in Hell that someone that
hot is ever going to fall for a guy like him in a million years!
Especially someone serving time for a manslaughter conviction, as what
women in her right mind would ever want to be with a man who has killed
someone. Although come to think of it even Ted Bundy got married in prison
and he killed a whole bunch of people, so some women are just that crazy I
guess. Albeit such women are not nearly as hot as Charlize is, hence
that part of the film was unbelievable to the extreme for me. Especially
after her would be lover Nick is killed in a prison riot a mere day before
his scheduled release which naturally prompts his obviously upset buddy
Rudy to lovingly take his place. For what better way to get Rudy some
goodnight nookie than by pretending to be the now dead Nick, as it
has been awhile since he did the naked nasty ( well, with a women
anyway). As the wild hotel sex scene would seem to indicate, though I am
sure it will be edited before the final version hits theatres sometime in
the year 2000. As there was way too much ass grinding and pumping action
going on for an R rated film, especially in today's increasingly
less liberal sexual climate (Sorry to everyone who wanted to see Ben or
Charlie's naked ass pumping away on a hotel floor).
Although the amount of sex displayed in the film actually does play an
important part in the films overall plot, as Charlize's character is
basically using sex against Rudy throughout much of the film. For what
better way than sexual manipulation to get Rudy to help her and her psycho
thug brother Gabriel (Gary Sinise) rob some Indian Casino on Christmas Eve
( Haven't we done enough to the poor Indians?!). Which is essentially
where the name of the film comes from, a robbery on Christmas Eve with a
bunch of boys behaving badly. Hence Reindeer Games, like in that
lame Rudolf the red nosed reindeer song about none of the other reindeers
playing nice. Which is besides the point as very early on Reindeer
games pretty much denigrates into a series of botched escape attempts
as Rudy tries repeatedly to get away from Charlize and her increasingly
psychotic and violent brother. Who is convinced that Rudy is Nick and that
that Nick has inside knowledge of the Indian Casino and just how to take
it down come Christmas Eve. Thus Rudy is not only forced to pretend to be
Nick for fear of his life, he also has to pretend to be the same Nick
who has first hand knowledge of how to rob an Indian Casino. None of which
really makes for a good plot or even all that good of a thriller if
you ask me.
Though in all fairness there were a few surprises that I didn't
see coming, especially towards the end, and I did like the overall calibre
of acting in the film as a whole. Even though I was pretty bored most of
the time with the general lackluster story. As there are just so many
times that Affleck's character could have escaped and gotten away from his
captors it really started to piss me off, specifically once it was clear
that his character didn't have a reason to stick around anymore. Which I
wont go into as it will spoil some of the only good or suspenseful parts
in this otherwise drab film. Which serverly wasted the talents of Gary
Sinise, as even he seemed to be just going through the motion with this
one. Essentially waiting till he could cash his paycheck no doubt, never
a good sign in any film. So here's hoping that Dimension Films will
take the necessary time and effort in fixing all the various little things
that currently do not work with this film, for it seriously does have
potential. Though technically every single film ever made has some
potential, yet so many of them continue to suck so go figure. Either
way at present the film just plain sucks so something has to be done if
they want to make it actually watchable or at the very least recoup their
investment, and you know the fine people at Dimension Films want to
do that.
As always, if you have any questions or comments about anything I have
just said or written about. Please feel to email me at
lighthouseshines@hotmail.com and someone will get back to you, thanks!
Sincerely,
Light House Shines
