|
|
|
Newest Reviews: New Movies - Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Old Movies - Touki Bouki: The Journey of the Hyena The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry Archives - Recap: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 , 2005, 2006, 2007 , 2008 , 2009 , 2010 , 2011 , 2012
|
Knight and Day (James Mangold, 2010)
Coasting by on superficial wit, the
James Mangold-directed Knight and Day
by no means compares with Stanley Donen's
Charade, Hitchock's North By
Northwest, or even James Cameron's
True Lies, as a top-notch film of
this type, but it works as well as anything released in recent years as a
mindless summer action movie. For viewers able to accept its fundamental
silliness, Knight and Day will offer
plenty of unpretentious, forgettable entertainment. Though there's a more
sophisticated movie trying to get out here, it never does, which is somewhat
unfortunate, but ultimately not damning. That Mangold fails to spin his spy plot
into much of a metaphor for its leads' burgeoning relationship, or anything at
all, is at once a missed opportunity and a suggestion that its intentions lie
elsewhere. In a film like this, in which the
lead actors seem to be having a great deal of fun, the effect can be contagious
enough for viewers to temporarily forget any shortcomings or missed
opportunities.
Knight and Day's winning lead
performances generate laughs and chemistry at near every turn. Cruise's
reputation as an action hero and his goofy grin are major assets here, and
Diaz's easygoing likeability and prowess at physical comedy serve her equally
well. Both are well within their comfort zones, turning them into enablers of
the ridiculous plot. They each feel like they are in on the joke that is this
movie, and that helps us to laugh with them, instead of at them. Though
Knight and Day could have stood to be
a bit sexier, calmer, or smarter, to be sure, it is never less than light on its
feet, even as its body count climbs into the dozens. 62 Jeremy Heilman 06.22.10
|
Something of a subgenre unto itself, the romantic spy-thriller always walks the
line between offering starpower for its own sake and plot-driven espionage
action. Almost by definition, these films rely on absurd, implausible chaos,
grounded only by the kindling of new love. James Mangold's
Knight and Day confidently embraces
that absurdity. Featuring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz as a spy on the lam and
the girl by his side, the movie casts its bet that its big stars will be able to
ground the big action that surrounds them. For the most part, the gamble pays
off.