Nowadays it seems everyone is online. So it was only a matter of time before the film industry started spitting out cyber-thrillers. “Johnny Mnemonic” is the first mainstream movie of this genre that shows promise.
Based on a short story by William Gibson, “Johnny” takes place 30 years in the future, when information, not money, is the driving force. Keanu Reeves plays Johnny, a human courier who is paid to smuggle data in a computer chip in his brain. A number of people are after his head, quite literally, and the movie soon turns into one action chase scene after another.
“Johnny Mnemonic” has many virtues: a clever plot with a fresh look at the future. The ideas it raises are intriguing and creative. However, these aspects are pushed to the background in favor of the familiar grisly action elements of the film. The characters and ideas are never developed, and the story proceeds with one cliche after another.
Still, the ideas “Johnny” puts forth are interesting, so it’s worth a look. (star) (star) 1/2
“Forget Paris,” the latest in the recent onslaught of romantic comedies, pairs itself with an unlikely partner: the NBA. Along with shots of lovers strolling on the banks of the Seine are scenes with Charles Barkley and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Strangely enough, the basketball jokes are what work best in Billy Crystal’s second directorial effort. But the romantic comedy end of it falls flat.
“Forget Paris” tells the story of Mickey (Billy Crystal), an NBA referee who meets Ellen (Debra Winger) in Paris, and the rocky course of the ensuing relationship. It’s a familiar story, but “Paris” sets itself apart with a unique approach: The story is told by a group of Mickey and Ellen’s friends having dinner at a restaurant. The natural, conversational style of the movie makes the scenes in the restaurant funny and enjoyable.
However, the film’s major problem is that the scenes detailing the story of Mickey and Ellen try too hard, and the jokes often fail. Crystal is great when he seems natural, but Winger seems uncomfortable throughout the first half of the movie.
When “Forget Paris” loses the heavy-handed approach, it’s warm and likable. One leaves the theater wishing Crystal had forgotten Paris and concentrated on the NBA. (star) (star) 1/2
