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| HANCOCK |
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Rating |
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M |
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| Time |
92 minutes |
| Country |
USA |
| Director |
Peter Berg |
| Cast |
Will Smith, Jason Bateman, Charlize Theron |
| Distributor |
Sony |
| Worth |
$9.00 |
| Released |
July 3 |
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“…the film feels rushed and muddled…”
Hancock began its life as a spec script by screenwriter Vincent Ngo in 1996 and in the period since, it’s been punted back and forth between various producers and any number of directors, including Tony Scott and Michael Mann, before being taken on by Peter Berg (The Kingdom) as a vehicle for Will Smith. Apparently the inherent dark comedy of the script was deemed objectionable by the studio, leading to several versions of the completed film. A sub plot regarding statutory rape was cut; other issues were Hancock’s alcohol consumption and the film’s violence. The studio wanted a blockbuster “event” film, and what it got was an R rated action-comedy.
What we end up with sees Smith as the eponymous anti-hero, a drunken super-powered wreck who languishes on park benches, groping at passing women and guzzling bourbon all day long, struggling to fly straight as he apprehends evildoers and destroying parts of the city in the process. His crime-stopping escapades turn most of Los Angeles’ populace against him, and it’s only when he rescues hapless PR consultant Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) from certain death that he finds himself undergoing something of a PR makeover, in order to become the kind of superhero that the city wants and expects.
The inspired moments of comedy and action seem to be fragments of a greater film that have failed to coalesce into a coherent whole. The component talents involved are at the top of their game, notably Bateman as Ray, but the film feels rushed and muddled, having been sliced and diced in the editing room in an attempt to tailor the film to its target demographic, so whether Smith’s pulling power with audiences can save the day is anyone’s guess.
Jarrod Walker
TEN EMPTY
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE
CHILDREN OF THE SILK ROAD
KUNG FU PANDA
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
GET SMART
THE BAND'S VISIT
UNFINISHED SKY
YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN
MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD
MONGOL
HOPE
SPEED RACER
THE HAPPENING
THE INCREDIBLE HULK
SEX AND THE CITY
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
THE ORPHANAGE
SHINE A LIGHT
FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA
IRON MAN
WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
THE COUNTERFEITERS
SMOTHER
21
RATS AND CATS
SHUTTER
THEN SHE FOUND ME
MADE OF HONOUR
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TRUST THE MAN
Starring writer/director Bart Freundlich’s (The Myth of Fingerprints) real life wife Julianne Moore as Rebecca, a successful actress struggling to balance work and her sex-addicted stay-at-home husband Tom (David Duchovny), the film is all about relationships. Also in the picture is Toby (Billy Crudup), Rebecca’s immature and self-centered brother, who is resisting making a commitment to his long time girlfriend Elaine (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who desperately wants a child.
Trust The Man riffs on a truly “classic” scenario: woman wants romance, man wants sex; woman wants marriage, man wants space. Still, this is no girly-girl film, as it realistically explores the search for meaning in life, and deals effectively with the issue of the lack of communication and infidelity inherent in relationships. The film strikes real chords that will surely resonate on both sides of the gender divide. Freundlich’s film is witty and enjoyable, and the top flight actors give great performances. Relative youngster Gyllenhaal blends well with her more experienced co-stars, and Moore especially brings elegance to the show, with Duchovny and Crudup affecting goofy boyishness.
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