# Hurricane, The (1999)

### reviewed by
Eugene Novikov

    The Hurricane (1999)
    Reviewed by Eugene Novikov
    http://www.ultimate-movie.com
    Member: Online Film Critics Society

Starring Denzel Washington, John Hannah, Deborah Kara Unger, Liev Schreiber, Dan Hedaya, Vicellous Reon Shannon. Rated R.

Some movies' pre-release buzz is so insistent on their high Oscar potential that when they're finally released, everyone just goes along with it. Thus sometimes, films unworthy of any award sans the Razzie become Oscar hopefuls and some even score nominations. Last year it was The Thin Red Line. This year's "winner" is The Hurricane, pure unadulterated tripe that is all of a sudden being received with critical plaudits and votes in the office Oscar pool.

Acclaimed director Norman Jewison's biopic retreads all the conventions of courtroom movies without any of the fun. And that's supposed to be ok because, see, it's a true story. It's about Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (Denzel Washington), a legendary African American prizefighted who is unjustly convicted of triple homicide with the help of a ghastly (racist!) detective (Dan Hedaya) who's had it in for the "big-shot" Hurricane ever since he arrested him for stabbing a white man with a knife (in self-defense but who cares, right?) when Rubin was only ten. He is to serve three life sentences with no possibility of parole. Most of the film takes place when he is in his 15th year in prison.

To the rescue -- Lesra Martin (Vicellous Reon Shannon) and his team of wanna-be detectives. Lesra is an African American teenager taken in by three well-off Canadian white people (Hanna, Unger, Schreiber) to get an education. Lesra and his buddies go to a book sale where Lesra picks out his very first book -- "The Sixteenth Round," Rubin's autobiography. Immediately thereafter, Schreiber's character tells Lesra "Sometimes we don't pick the books we read, they pick us." Hmmm.

After a few visits to the prison, they become convinced of Rubin's innocence and launch their own full-scale investigation even though two juries have convicted him. They meticulously go through all the files and revisit all the old witnesses (I wonder if any of them might be cranky old women who slam the door in their faces?) and in the course of their relentlessy tedious sleuthing uncover obvious evidence confirming the Hurricane's innocence that was either ignored or never seeked out during the first two proceedings. Of course, we're already told that he's innocent.

A movie like this is especially frustrating because we're not being shown everything significant that happened to Carter during this period in his life. All too obviously, we're getting the Hollywood watered- down version. That would be ok except that the parts we are getting is milked for every single drop of melodrama that the filmmakers could possibly squeeze out of it. It's almost cruel. The melodrama isn't of the entertaining kind either; it's the hokey, rammed-down-your-throat variety where every emotion is exaggerated to the point of absurdity. Witness the villain ferociously grinding his teeth at the final trial or the constant pseudo-saintliness of our four protagonists.

The Hurricane is your basic courtroom movie except it's a no-frills courtroom movie. It's formula stripped to the bare necessities. You have your wrongly accused black man. You have your melodramatic final courtroom scene. But there's nothing else. You'd expect some sort of involving investigation. But that's not necessary since we're implicitly informed of his innocence. Thus the whole middle portion of the movie is reduced to the protagonist brooding. Brooding to himself. Brooding to other inmates. Brooding to Lesra. Brooding to Lesra's Canadian friends. Brooding in letters. I don't think I'll ever look at brooding the same way again. It wasn't long before I got tired of hearing the Hurricane's exceedingly deep meditations on his condition. I wanted something to happen.

As for Washington's performance in the title role -- I figured I'd have to address it sooner or later considering the amount of attention it's received -- he is top notch, though still boring. How is that possible? Well, he does what Jewison wanted him to do perfectly. Unfortunately what Jewison asked him to do is a load of crap. What a waste of a great performer.

Speaking of wastes, why the hell did John Hannah agree to do this? He's an extremely talented actor and I love him dearly, but what is he doing here? To call his character (along with Schreiber's and Unger's) a stick figure would be a gross understatement. All three of them come off as veritable Mother Theresas, as benevolent as do-gooders come. If they're to play a major part in this movie, why not make them real people, with real feelings and emotions?

Look: if you're going to make a formula movie, don't undermine the formula. Courtroom dramas can be fun, but this is ridiculous. Not only is it trite, it's boring.

    Grade: D

    ©1999 Eugene Novikov

    Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
    Before you buy.

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