| Guilty pleasures --
seemingly crappy films that win me over. Why on earth am I
recommending (albeit marginally) a film about a man who can see into
the future by about two minutes? It is hard to say.
Maybe it is the likable cast. Maybe the energetic and fast
paced plot. Maybe someone slipped me a Micky. Whatever
the reason, I enjoyed every ridiculous twist and turn. I had
fun with it.
The irrepressibly inconsistent Nicolas Cage dons his action hero
persona once again. Here, he plays Cris Johnson, a Vegas
performer whose on-stage schtick (predicting the future) is actually
a real gift... he just pretends it is an act. Julianne Moore
is the FBI agent who sniffs out his act and recognizes the
statistical improbability of his methods and thinks that he could be
of some use in the search for a rogue nuclear bomb.
Cris uses his gift for gambling, winning himself some extra
pocket money. However, he never plays against other people,
only the house -- and he never goes after the mega jackpots.
One night, he senses the casino cameras and realizes that he is
about to be nabbed for cheating. His prediction skills go into
overdrive as he calmly manoeuvres his way past security.
The one premonition that seems to extend past the two minute
barrier is one of Jessica Biel (I have that premonition too --
almost every night). He foresees meeting her in a local coffee
shop.
The film buzzes along at a nice clip. Spectacular chase
scenes and inventive multi-timeline scenarios play out regularly,
interspersed by abrupt, yet witty, dialogue.
Despite my nagging notion that this will be a film worth watching
more than once, I cannot muster up the courage to give it anything
higher than a B-. It is just too damn silly and I would be
ashamed of myself... However, I was tempted. "Next" is an
explosive gimmick movie that had me on the edge of my seat,
chuckling at the lunacy of it all. I enjoyed the ride and
loved the cast. That's that.
Julianne Moore Kicking Ass & Taking
Names in "Next". |
