Excess Baggage Review
by Jamie Peck (jpeck1 AT gl DOT umbc DOT edu)September 16th, 1997
EXCESS BAGGAGE
RATING: *1/2 (out of ****)
Columbia / 1:38 / 1997 / PG-13 (language, sex-related dialogue, violence)
Cast: Alicia Silverstone; Benicio Del Toro; Christopher Walken; Jack Thompson; Nicholas Turturro; Michael Bowen; Sally Kirkland; Leland Orser; Harry Connick, Jr.
Director: Marco Brambilla
Screenplay: Max D. Adams; Dick Clement; Ian La Frenais
By starring in Amy Heckerling's "Clueless" two summers ago, Alicia Silverstone proved she wasn't just another pretty, pouty ingenue, showing a buoyant comedic craftiness that blew all previous jobs -- namely a stint as the Aerosmith girl and a silly turn as the lethal Lolita of "The Crush" -- out of the water. Her only work since that 1995 gem has been in June's "Batman & Robin," where she overcame the underwritten role of Batgirl. Now, she's the star and producer of "Excess Baggage," a hopelessly phony film that demonstrates how an ill-composed story can drag an otherwise solid performer down to its level.
Silverstone's Emily T. Hope is stuck with a billionaire father (Jack Thompson) who neglects her emotionally. In an outlandish plan to gain his affection, she fakes her own kidnapping -- Emily uses an electronically disguised voice to call her dad and set a pricey ransom, ties her legs together and mouth shut with duct tape and locks herself in the trunk of her BMW. But before the police can "rescue" her, professional auto thief Vincent Roche (Benicio Del Toro) jimmies the locks, hot-wires the engine and makes off with both the car and Emily, who's still trapped in the back.
When Vincent discovers Emily, the two don't exactly hit it off -- she annoys him, he annoys her, and at the advice of his slimy car salesman partner (Harry Connick, Jr.), he decides to drive her out to the middle of nowhere and leave her there. Along the way, of course, they get into a whole heap of trouble, and come to realize that being together is the only way to get out of their sticky, felony-studded situation. It doesn't help matters that Emily and Vincent are being trailed by cops, crooks and even her shady Uncle Ray (Christopher Walken), who's wise to his niece's ploys for attention and has mafia connections.
For at least a half-hour, "Excess Baggage" bounces along fast and efficiently. During this time, Emily and Vincent sport engaging personalities as well as a nice role-reversal twist -- she's an awfully aggressive, combative victim and he's quite the aloof, seemingly vulnerable captor. But once it's past its set-up, the situation suddenly becomes uninvolving as the story tries to be too many things at once. A road movie, a teen comedy, a mob thriller, a drama about family relationships -- you name the cliche and "Excess Baggage" likely covers its territory. Of course a romance develops between the two leads, but it all seems forced, and thus characterization is manipulated to cause the finally happy outcome. "Do you like my tummy?" Emily coos to Vincent at one point in the film. Huh? Did I miss something? The hard-edged, foul-mouthed grrrl is suddenly gone and replaced with a pair of batting goo-goo eyes.
Then again, "Excess Baggage" becomes so weak in so many areas that the personality transplant is not a complete surprise. A supporting cast attempts to do what they can with colorful but empty secondary roles, but the movie isn't game enough to use them all and therefore seems overcrowded. Motivations keep shifting, resulting in an often confusing narrative. Scant existing story background confuses matters even worse and adds to the growing list of unanswered questions. "Excess Baggage" has too many characters, too much plot and juggles with one arm behind its back and a remaining shaky hand.
I loved Silverstone's turn in "Clueless" as an aloof, pampered Beverly Hills matchmaker inspired by Jane Austen's "Emma." Looking back at the skill she displayed for comedy there, it's simple to justify any high expectation or enthusiasm that I had mustered for "Excess Baggage." Sadly, however, "Excess Baggage" is no "Clueless." But, on the other hand, it is clueless.
© 1997 Jamie Peck
E-mail: [email protected]
Visit the Reel Deal Online: http://www.gl.umbc.edu/~jpeck1/
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