Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, August 27, 1994 TAG: 9409010043
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Mike Mayo
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
It attempts to combine an Eric Ambler/Graham Greene plot of intrigue and double-dealing with a conventional action framework; gunfights, explosions, chases, etc. A visual quote from "Apocalypse Now" at the beginning sets the mood.
The setting is the Thai-Cambodian border. Peter Kernan (Matt Salinger, also the film's producer) is a burned-out relief worker who allows himself to be hooked into a scheme hatched by a Canadian diplomat (Michael Ironside): Transport a truckload of medical supplies to a Cambodian warlord, bring back a million dollars in gold bars.
The other main players are the diplomat's wife (Sam Jenkins), Kernan's friend Khoy (Dr. Haing S. Ngor) and a priest-doctor (Martin Sheen) working on his own in the jungle.
Mark Lee's script treats the characters and the situation seriously. It is a little preachy at times - I think it earns the right to be - and the conventional "Hollywood" ending is weak. That's probably to be expected in today's business where any deviation from established formulas is rare, but something more would have been much better.
Director Thierry Notz did fairly well with a low budget. The Philippine locations are familiar. Some of the action scenes are stiffly staged; others are tense. Overall, the performances are convincing.
In the end, "Fortunes of War" is probably too thoughtful to be a big hit with action fans, but it's the kind of film that you're not going to find in theaters these days. Recommended for fans of "84 Charlie Mopic" and "A Midnight Clear," though it's not quite as successful as either of those.
"Streets of Rage" is another genre-bender that features a producer-star, Mimi Lesseos. It's a martial-arts movie with a social conscience, concerning street kids in Los Angeles. Again, there are two distinct sides. The first is a standard story of incorruptible would-be reporter Mel Sails (Lesseos) taking on the leader of a child-prostitution ring and all his henchmen. The fights are generally well-staged, with one embarrassing slip where the camera angle reveals that our heroine's kick doesn't come close to the villain's chin.
The other side of the film might have come from taped conversations with real runaways. The stories that the kids tell about how they came to be on the street have the sound of barely fictionalized truth.
Overall, the production values are thin and the acting is uneven - one character's Southern accent is enough to set your teeth on edge. The film's saving grace is its star, who also co-wrote and -choreographed. Mimi Lesseos has an attractive, likable screen presence. She seems to be comfortable in the action scenes, and if she used a double, I couldn't tell.
It's obvious that she's ready to move up the ladder in the genre. Things are tough for women in martial-arts. Cynthia Rothrock is the only woman who's making a career in the field, and some of her movies are truly dreadful. "Streets of Rage" is far from perfect, either, but I enjoyed it and look forward to more from Mimi Lesseos.
"Streets of Rage" arrives in video stores this Wednesday. The release schedule for "Fortunes of War" is less certain. It will probably be out sometime in the fall and is worth a look.
New releases
Serial Mom ***
Starring Kathleen Turner, Sam Waterston, Ricki Lake. Written and directed by John Waters. HBO Video. 90 min. Rated R for subject matter, strong language, violence, sexual content.
This is a dark comedy, with a violent streak that may bother some viewers, but that's appropriate. After all, the subject is multiple murder, and the film comes from cult director John Waters, famous for the outrageous. But, like "Hairspray," it's meant for a large audience. Kathleen Turner is terrific in the title role.
P.C.U. ** 1/2
Starring Jeremy Pivin, Jessica Walter, Chris Young. Directed by Hart Bochner. FoxVideo. 80 min. Rated PG-13 for subject matter, strong language.
This descendant of "Animal House" is a raucous, irreverent campus comedy that would be better if it were even more raucous and irreverent. Still, for a low-budget movie that looks like it was shot on the run, it has some really funny moments. And the filmmakers are evenhanded, attacking all their subjects with equal zest, particularly sanctimonious Reaganites.
Greedy ***
Starring Michael J. Fox, Kirk Douglas, Nancy Travis, Olivia D'Abo. Directed by Jonathan Lynn. MCA/Universal. 110 min. Rated PG-13 for strong language, subject matter.
The inspiration for this one might well have been a letter to Ann Landers; one of those wonderful scenarios involving a back-biting family and lots of money. The film is a shifting mixture of comedy and melodrama and it's not always easy to tell which is which. An ensemble cast playing greedy relatives does fine work, but the real surprise is the rapport between stars Kirk Douglas and Michael J. Fox. (That's director Lynn as the butler.)
8 Seconds **
Starring Luke Perry, Cynthia Geary, Stephen Baldwin. Directed by John Avildsen. New Line Home Video. 96 min. Rated PG-13 for strong language, violence, subject matter.
Though director John Avildsen attempts to pump this well-meaning little celebrity bio-movie up to "Rocky" heights, there's just not enough to it. The characters seem nice, but their conflicts are fairly common. The rodeo setting is probably enough for moviegoers who are already fans of the sport. For everyone else, though, it may seem too distant to be involving. TV stars Luke Perry and Cynthia Geary are credible leads.
The Essentials:
Fortunes of War ***
Columbia Tristar. Unrated, contains some violence, strong language, sexual situations.
Streets of Rage ** 1/2
Monarch. Unrated, contains martial arts violence, some strong language, brief nudity.
by CNB