Dish of the Day
Just some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Today’s “Dish of the Day” has a review of 2002’s Minority Report, inspired by a post in one of the film related Facebook chat rooms. This includes the Cinema Cafe group (all readers are encouraged to join here).
Minority Report (2002)
Minority Report’s thought provoking premise (regarding the ramifications of stopping crime before it occurs) is due to a brilliant idea emanating from the pen of Philip K. Dick (vis-à-vis the author’s 1956 novella of the same name). This being a Steven Spielberg film, however, first time viewers had better enjoy the enhanced theatricality of the proceedings or resign themselves, like this critic, to issuing their own “minority report.”
Right from its opening of infidelity foreshadowing murder, the director foreshadows his own dramatic embellishment of what’s to come. These early scenes look like an excerpt from some old TV soap opera. Tom Cruise really goes all out in conveying each and every thought and emotion his character experiences. Forget subtlety and nuance. And since this story almost entirely revolves around Cruise’s character, we are stuck with a person constantly trying to convince us of just how much adversity he’s facing. Steven Spielberg is, unfortunately, not the right director to "dial him down." (Director Sydney Pollack fared much better with the superstar in 1993’s The Firm).
There are some performers, namely veterans Max von Sydow and Lois Smith, who give their all without overstepping their roles. Colin Farrell and Peter Stormare are solid actors as well but their characterisations are rendered fundamentally smug (Farrell) and arch (Stormare) under Spielberg’s direction. Farrell and von Sydow have a defining moment together that looks like an “echo” of the one between Spacey and Cromwell in 1997’s L.A. Confidential.
On the plus side, there is a thoughtfully planned and imaginative futuristic setting and a few well executed conflicts and resolutions, particularly one involving “spiders” performing eye checks. Cruise, however, on the run with that screaming "precog" (overplayed by Samantha Morton), * little nudges of mood wrecking humour along the way, and an over the top 'gotcha' ending that defies credibility, ** result in a majority of bombast that ruins even a minority chance of insight, meaningful reflection or future prognostication.
* This “precog” character becomes additionally irritating in several scenes where she talks about the Cruise character’s abducted son, especially later where he’s described in detail. And yet to the boy’s fate, let alone who was involved or why the abduction took place, she, and therefore we, have no clue.
** Near the story’s conclusion, there is an absurd amount of expository dialogue from Cruise’s overly victorious character whom we already know is explaining what both he and von Sydow’s character already know, leaving this a recitation for our ears only.
(Out of 5 Treasure Chests)
All responses are not only welcomed but encouraged in the comments section below.
Hope to see you tomorrow.
A.G.