Be Cool
Directed
by: F. Gary Gray
Starring: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, The Rock, Andre 3000, Cedric the Entertainer, Danny DeVito, Harvey Keitel, Vince Vaughn, Christina Milian, Steven Tyler, Robert Pastorelli
Holy cow did you see the cast listing up there?! This movie is busting at the seams with big names! And they don't always disappoint! While Be Cool won't have you rolling on the floor laughing so much that you'll have to be taken the hospital for severe friction burns, it will certainly entertain and keep you on the hook.
Be Cool is a hip little caper about how ex-gangster, turned movie star, turned music producer, turned gangster Chili Palmer (Travolta) and his super fine accomplice Edie Athens (Thurman) steal a talented young singer (Milian) away from a corrupt music promoter (Keitel.)
This movie is the sequal to the 1995 release Get Shorty, but if you haven't seen it don't worry. Other than involving
a few of the same characters the story doesn't require that you've scene the first movie.
The movie does a VERY good job of poking fun at the world of Hollywood glitz especially in how it relates to the music business. From the over the top Hip-Hop gangster group The Dub MD's lead by producer Sin LaSalle (Cedric) to the backstabbing, sheisty music manager Nick Carr (Keitel). But though this movie
is about the L.A. music industry, and it boasts the "hottest music in the biz" the music completely sucks. Like most movies involving musicians as characters the songs written for the film are pretty generic and lame.
The cast as a whole puts forth a convincing and decent enough performance, but the show is often stolen by the antics of Vince Vaughn and The Rock. Vince Vaughn plays Raji - a second hand music rep for Keitel's corrupt management agency. The character is an over the top portrayal of your typical "White Black Guy" poseur who constantly carries on like some badass gangsta with street cred. Raji's bodyguard
is Elliot Wilhelm, played by The Rock...
Now, here I need to take a minute and give The Rock some MUCH deserved props. I really dig The Rock. Sure, thus far his movies have pretty much been him beating the hell out of people and blowing stuff up, but he's always struck me as a guy
who genuinely likes his gig, has the intelligence to really become more than an action star, and is not a prick about being a big shot movie dude. So, I was thrilled to see how The Rock stepped up to the plate for this movie. His character is a singing, acting gay guy just trying to break into the biz, and The Rock
plays the part dead on and HILLARIOUS while being true to the character and not some over-the-top cartoon gay guy. He is, in fact, the only character in the movie you actually have any sympathy for. I definitely recommend watching the featurette about The Rock's performance on the Special Features portion of the DVD.
Anyhow, I most definitely recommend this for at least a one time viewing. It will keep you chuckling the whole way through.
- Clif
