This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
Framed By Seduction
Plot Overview
Free lance photographer Mickey Dane
(Robert Patrick) captured a money shot of unknown singer Chelsea Savage
(Michelle Johnson) exiting a club, which catapulted both him and her
to fame via the cover of Rolling Stone. Since then he's
been her paparazzo and she always finds the lens. After her van got
totalled, however, killing her kith & kin, she stopped touring
and became reclusive. Then he got busted sneaking photos of her at
her home, for which he was slapped with a restraining order.
A mystery man Simon Devereaux (Jonathan Banks) rendezvouses with him at a bar to hire him to shoot a portfolio of Chelsea look-alike Danielle “Candy” Wilde (Michelle Johnson.) Afterwards Chelsea is found murdered in a pose resembling one in his pix, and physical evidence links Mickey to the crime. The cops figure him for it, but they bungle the arrest, and Mickey flees the trigger-happy public servants. The deck is so stacked against him that nothing short of divine intervention is likely to avail, something on the order of a Morris West novel:
“The Englishman wants my head.”“He shall not have it—unless you choose to give it to him.”
There was so much strength and conviction in the old man's voice that his guest looked up in surprise.
“You can't promise that, Father!”
“I can. I do.”
“You can't. Behind the Englishman is a whole nation—four nations! You cannot fight them all.”
“Not I, my son.” Father Albertus held up his gnarled and broken hands. “But God Almighty, who lifts up the humble and topples the mighty from their seats. …” (169)
Ideology
Mickey is on lean times. The editor of a rag offers him $400 for some saucy pictures, but says Mickey, “Four hundred bucks doesn't cover my parking tickets.” Not in L.A. That's why he jumps at Devereaux's offer for an unknown gig at $10K. Says Devereaux, “Really, we have a lot in common. I'd like to explore the boundaries of illusion and reality with you.” In other words he's got something up his sleeve. Or to quote, (Prov. 29:13) “The poor and the deceitful man meet together: the LORD lighteneth both their eyes.” The idea here is someone is running a scam on a poor man who takes the bait but will later have an Aha! moment while God or fate has a Hah, hah! moment on the schemer.
“Simon says, ‘Cameras are
made to be tricked.’” Mickey scrutinizing his negatives
has his eyes opened (“Bingo!”) But the shyster puppet
master and his lackeys get theirs as well. As Mickey puts it, “I
may be the patsy, but you're the sucker.” Some layered revelations
occur in a fifth floor studio with spotlights playing through
the windows and across the faces of the characters who've met together
to have their eyes lightened.
Production Values
“” (1994) was directed by Dimitri Logothetis. It was written by Robert Ian Strauss with additional dialogue by Terry Lennox. It stars Robert Patrick, Michelle Johnson, and Ray Wise. Patrick put in a first rate performance. Johnson was swell in a dual role. There were some other good actors also, like Jonathan Banks.
MPAA rated it R for violence, language and strong sexuality. The dialogue was witty and the off-screen sex steamy. The police couldn't shoot straight but the broad could. The physical altercations were cartoonish and/or electrifying.
Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation
I loved this movie that rolled out like a hard boiled detective novel at a hard boil. It won't be everybody's cup of tea; you have to get into it. It'll keep you guessing till the very end. Dark and moody.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Decent action scenes. Suitability For Children: Not Suitable for Children of Any Age. Special effects: Average special effects. Video Occasion: Better than watching TV. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall movie rating: Four stars out of five.
Works Cited
Scripture quoted from the King James Version. Pub. 1611, rev. 1769. Software.
West, Morris L. Backlash. Copyright © 1958 by Morris L. West. New York: William Morrow & Co. Print.
bibles.n7nz.org