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Pavement (2002) Rated R Movie review by RPcrazy Robert Patrick, Lauren Holly, Barry Shabaka Henley, Chris Hoffman, Danny Keogh. Directed by Darrell Roodt SPOILERS ABOUND RP droolabilty - 10 - Any movie where he takes his shirt off gets this score. The shirt off factor, 5 - Only once � but gorgeous!. Spine tingling looks, - 0 - He�s adorable in this movie The gravely voice, -10 - Okay � I�m biased. Presence in movie - 10 - Top billing Swear-o-meter - 1 - Only one but it was warranted. Synopsis and My Thoughts Sam Brown (Robert Patrick) is an Alaskan tracker who is tracking an alpha wolf with brain fever when he hears of the murder of his sister. After killing the wolf when it attacks him, he sets out for San Francisco to hopefully find her murderer. There he meets police inspector Detective Buckley Clarke who at first reluctantly lets him help track the killer. More murders have been committed with the same MO. When Sam tracks the murderer into the woods he finds out it is a person with a slight build, maybe a woman, who walks with a limp and has a leg brace. They also have a sight problem therefore goes out at night. Is this person really a serial killer or does he/she work with a list? There is also a connection with health personnel working in the area of neo-natal care. During the course of the investigation Sam and Buckley become romantically involved especially after he stays at her place instead of the cheap motel he had booked into. The movie is called �Pavement� referring to the city covered with pavement, covering up life, (Buckley�s life) compared with life outside the city and the open countryside free of bitumen. (Sam�s life). No offence to the writers but my first reaction is this storyline is a mixture of a number of movie plots. It�s all been done before. The hospital scene at the end reminded me immediately of �The Frighteners�. The feel of the movie together with special effects and music reminded me also of RP�s movie �Asylum�. The syringes in the bodies reminded me of The X-Files season 9 �Daemonicus�. The list could go on. The actors played their parts well and seemed believable although at times I thought Lauren Holly a little too flippant especially when her character was mocking Sam for his tracking and use of his stick. The whole gross deformity was also a little far fetched. I was expecting more an elephant man type killer. More could have been made of this to make it more believable. Don�t get me wrong. I did enjoy the movie and the story and usually gauge my enjoyment by whether I want to watch it multiple times. I�ve now seen it four times. It doesn�t bother me that it was all too predictable but I would have liked to see more suspense, more mystery. It all boils down to good acting and a suitably paced movie with a mediocre story line. More specific thoughts in my notes. RP appearances Robert Patrick has top billing in this movie and is just about in every scene. He certainly shone with his acting and his portrayal of Sam Brown. Without him there wouldn�t have been as much spark in the movie and I would have classed it with any old murder/mystery/serial killer storyline. This was the first time he�d been seen on television since finishing with The X-Files and to me the tracker/outdoors/nature type just didn�t surface well enough. RP was certainly the right choice by casting as he has the rugged looks and the athleticism; he still needed to convince us whole-heartedly that he was different from other characters he has played. He needed to appear more �outdoorsy�. The script tried to show this at times when he was shaving in the living room rather than the bathroom because it was a bit too much comfort that he didn�t need to get used to. Also, after he and Buckley had been to bed together he had slept on the balcony. (If that�s what is was). These scenes still didn�t convince me totally that he was the man he said he was. In a way he seemed too soft. He needed to be gnarlier on the edges, which any RP movie enthusiast knows he can do. One of RP�s specialties is his romantic scenes and this didn�t let us down. The whole topless, shaving, her coming down the stairs in her sleepwear and man�s shirt was all a realistic set up for a love scene. The way he looks into her eyes and says, �Do you want me to kiss you?� had me melting. There could have been more made of this scene but in hindsight I think it was perfect. It was short and left more to the imagination, therefore not being gratuitous. On the other hand when the DVD comes out I hope they have the uncut version as part of the extras. Overall, this is a must see for the RP fan because is such a fine actor and great on the eyes. I can easily watch this movie again and again. Notes (Positives and Negatives) * That wolf scene was a little laughable. It didn�t look very realistic when Sam was wrestling with it but on the other hand it could have been more disturbing if had been too realistic. The wolf looked too cute. I really don�t know wolves though. * This movie was filmed in South Africa but was meant to be set in Alaska and then move to San Francisco. It must have been more cost effective and maybe more convenient to fly everyone over to film there. * Although I have been to San Francisco twice I have been told that the streetscape did not resemble SF and that could be a turn off for some people. Personally to me it was not a problem. It looked to be in a believable setting for the story. I think I would be cheesed off too if they made a movie in another country but set in my home town and obviously looked wrong. * I have heard the love scene described as �arty� and �horrible� but I think it was perfect. It was short and left more to the imagination. Any more and it would have detracted from the main premise of the movie, to track down the killer. I could imagine the next time they did it they would have to really be out in those woods in the open air, away from pavement. * The way Sam could just waltz into the meeting between the FBI and the Police Department and even for him to stay as long as he did seem a stretch. * Also, when the Police found him he was allowed to just walk into the crime scene, not very realistic. * George, who was meant to have a problem with his sight during the day, was fine when holding Sam at gunpoint taking him to the old hospital. Sam was so much bigger than him, to me he could have done a John Doggett and easily overpowered the teenager but then we wouldn�t have the climax ending. * A big positive - there was no senseless killing by law enforcement in this movie. Both times the suspects were incapacitated but allowed to live to follow some sort of justice. * Although I would have liked to see more romance between the leading characters there was just enough and the last exchange of lines was perfect. It just leaves to our imagination where they will take the relationship next. Maybe they can do a �Crocodile Dundee� and she goes to Alaska to do some tracking with him ;) Buckley: I thought that you were nodding at me because you think I�m cute. Sam: You�re cute? Memorable lines/scenes Sylvia: (about the Sam photo she�d enlarged) He�s hot, in a Jeremiah Johnson kind of way. �����. Why �Pavement� Buckley: What are you doing out here? Sam: I�m here to see the sky. Back home even the ground is alive, here everything�s surrounded by pavement, layers of tar. It smothers life. �������.. Buckley? Are all men in Alaska like you? Sam: Maybe. Buckley: Is it true there are 20 of you for every woman? Sam: 21 (RPC would be pushing the other 20 away!) ������� Buckley: What�s that on your back? (Referring to the bandaging on Sam�s shoulder.) Sam: A bite Buckley: It�s a bite? Sam: Wolf bite. Buckley: A wolf bite? You don�t have rabies do you? Sam: Why? Do you want me to kiss you? :THUD: ��.. Buckley: I thought that you were nodding at me because you think I�m cute. Sam: You�re cute? ���� Availability It has been aired on HBO in the States. I really hope it comes to Australia too. Hopefully it will be released on DVD in the near future. End thought Not the best suspenseful movie out there, a lot of clich�s and predictability but for RP fans it is a must see even just the fact that he has a prominent role. Certainly see it more than once. |
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| RPcrazy's Movie Review |
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