“Manchurian
Candidate” -– absolute favorite film -- director John Frankenheimer helms the heist
flick “Ronin,” but this is David Mamet’s ride, from frame one. Every double
fake-out betrayal twist built in this ’70s European cinema homage bears Mamet’s
stamp of black ink and blood red humor, more so than his “Untouchables.” A behind-the-scenes squabble left Mamet out of the credits. Whatever. The fury-hot tough-guy talk? Razors and laughs that sting like bullets? Mamet. Perfectly
set in France with Robert De Niro as leader of a band of crooks hired by an
Irish dame (Natascha McElhone) to steal a metal briefcase (contents:
unimportant) from guys in suits driving fancy cars, “Ronin” is all about -– as every
Mamet work –- the smartest guy holding the gun. The jagged post-robbery fuck-up has cars punching high speeds through Paris, “Bullitt” carnage thrilling.
De Niro is on fire, kicking man balls raw. I miss this actor, scary
and tense. The pull-a-card plot thrives on coincidences and WTF sights (ice
skating???) no thriller can bear, but
Frankenheimer pushes onward cold and cruel, smashing cars and trucks,
pushing a Raging Bull to one of his last, great roles. An imperfect must watch. B+
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Ronin (1998)
Labels:
1970s,
1998,
Bullitt,
car chase,
coincidence,
crime,
David Mamet,
John Frankenheimer,
Paris,
robbery,
Robert De Niro,
Ronin
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