
DATE: Saturday, March 29, 1997              TAG: 9703280065

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E5   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Movie review 

SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC 

                                            LENGTH:   80 lines

``DEVIL'S OWN'' PLOT LABORS TOO LONG

ON THE WAY out of the theater someone asked me, ``Does it have a happy ending?''

The question is impossible to answer. Since the entire premise of ``The Devil's Own'' leads to a showdown between its stars, what would be a happy ending? The film asks the audience, particularly the feminine fans, to make a choice between superstars Harrison Ford, 54, and Brad Pitt, 33. Before that, we have a long (very long) exposition that establishes that both characters are decent human beings, that they respect and love each other, and that we're probably headed for a tragedy of some type.

Pleasingly, the film is character-driven rather than the usual shoot-'em-up. As such, it should be commended. The trouble is that it is so obvious about its shades of gray that there is a tendency, during the long running time, to talk back to the screen and say ``We got that point already. Could we move on?''

The differences between a New York family man and an Irish terrorist are labored, coupled with the added obsession to eventually prove that are very similar.

There is a rather good performance from Pitt, who dares to try an Irish accent, and a pretty laconic one from Ford, who walks through the film as if he thinks quietness is the only way to suggest goodness and honesty.

Pitt plays an Irish Republican Army faithful who goes undercover to New York to purchase missiles, weapons he thinks will force the British to the peace table and, eventually, save lives. In the meantime, killing is a necessary part of his mission. In the opening scenes, we see his character, at age 8, view the murder of his father. The scene is meant to suggest that Pitt's character is motivated in his commitment to kill. There is a major effort to make the terrorist appear to be a good guy.

The producers clearly want to make this a personal conflict, not a political one - particularly since most films about the Irish ``trouble'' have done only routine business at the box office. (``Michael Collins'' and ``In the Name of the Father'' among them.)

Pitt's character, in an effort to hide in plain sight, rents a room in the Staten Island home of New York cop Ford. There he sees the pleasures of family life (with Margaret Colin of ``Independence Day'' doing perfunctory work as the wife). It is drilled home to us that this is a life young Pitt cannot have. He is committed to fighting.

In the meantime, there are endless scenes to prove that Ford is a decent, honest cop who takes his job seriously. He is committed (that word again) to saving lives. An elaborate subplot in which fellow cop Ruben Blades shoots a man unnecessarily exists only so that Ford can prove that he would even turn against his cop friend in the name of decency.

There are endless scenes to prove the bonding of Pitt and Ford.

Only Treat Williams, as an undercover weapons dealer, is allowed to overact flagrantly. Laughably, his charcter is named Billy Burke. (Billie Burke is also the name of the prissy actress who played Glinda, the good witch of the north, in ``The Wizard of Oz.'')

There are some troublesome little questions. Are missiles really that small and easy to move about? Would Pitt take the long ocean trip to Ireland in that spindly little fishing boat? But the only real question is how long will we have to sit through these all-too-obvious motivations before we get to the payoff? (Answer: almost two hours).

Alan J. Pakula (producer of ``To Kill a Mockinbird'' and director of ``All the President's Men'') is a thoughtful and responsible director. He deserves credit for making this a character film rather than the usual action drivel. On the other hand, a conflict between these two characters didn't have to be quite this simple. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by COLUMBIA PICTURES

Unaware of his being a terrorist, Tom O'Meara (Harrison Ford), left,

and his wife (Margaret Colin), welcome a young Irishman (Brad Pitt),

right, into their home in the suspense thriller ``The Devil's Own.''

Graphic

MOVIE REVIEW

``The Devil's Own''

Cast: Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, Margaret Colin, Ruben Blades,

Treat Williams, George Hearn, Natascha McElhone, Mitchell Ryan

Director: Alan J. Pakula

MPAA rating: R (language, violence, adult themes)

Mal's rating: two and 1/2 stars