by kellie abrahamson kabrahamson1@aol.com
In 2004 Tony Scott brought us Man on Fire, a gritty vengeance flick that disappointed critics and under-performed at the box office. Scott and Denzel Washington team up again for Déjà Vu, a sci-fi picture cleverly disguised as an action thriller. This time around, however, the duo manages to make it work. The film is now available on DVD.
When a ferry carrying hundreds of men, women and children explodes in post-Katrina New Orleans, ATF Agent Doug Carlin (Washington) is assigned the case. During the course of the investigation he discovers the ferry bombing and the murder of a young woman (Paula Patton) are somehow connected. Carlin’s skills as a detective are noticed by a newly formed FBI unit that has access to a top-secret device that can thoroughly recreate events that happened 4 ½ days in the past. With the help of this new technology, Doug and the team witness the last days of the murdered young woman in an effort to find out who killed her and, ultimately, who caused the devastating ferry explosion. But, for Carlin, simply catching the bad guy may not be enough. The film also stars Val Kilmer and Jim Caviezel. Critics warmed up slightly to the sci-fi thrill ride. The film managed to get a 58% approval rating from RottenTomatoes.com, making that Scott’s “freshest” rating since 2001’s Spy Game.
The Déjà Vu DVD only has a handful of extras. The first, and by far most interesting, is the “Surveillance Window.” Selecting this supplement allows you to access a feature-length audio commentary with director Tony Scott, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and writer Bill Marsilii and ten making-of vignettes that play throughout the film. These featurettes can also be seen on their own, but the “Surveillance Window” is the only way to hear the commentary. Five deleted scenes made the cut, as did three extended scenes, none of which really add anything to the film or the story.
Déjà Vu is, as the title suggests, is nothing new in the action genre, but it is nonetheless an entertaining film with plenty of thrills that will keep you glued to the edge of your seat. As with any movie with time travel elements, it’s a simple task to find plot holes and improbabilities throughout. The key to enjoying this time-bending action thriller is to simply suspend your disbelief and go along for the ride. Trying to analyze the plot will only give you a headache. The film does deliver in other areas.
The acting is pretty good all around. Denzel always turns in a decent performance and Val Kilmer managed not to annoy me this time around, which was nice. A lot of people have been getting on Tony Scott’s case lately for his hyperactive camera work in Man on Fire and Domino and he seems to be taking notes. This time the editing is much more traditional and straightforward, allowing those not suffering from ADD a chance to enjoy a Tony Scott film for a change. As one may expect from a Scott/Bruckheimer collaboration, explosions, car chases and shootouts dominate most of the screen time, though we are also treated to an unconventional love story that will keep those with gentler sensibilities happy.
All in all, Déjà Vu is a pretty good popcorn movie that will keep you fully entertained if you don’t take it too seriously. The plot allows for some reflection and even a re-watch or two, but giving it too much thought may just end up ruining it.
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