Hard Rain Review
by Eric Lurio (ELurio AT aol DOT com)January 14th, 1998
Review by eric lurio
Hard Rain
Directed by
Mikael Salomon
Apparently, now that they know how to film in water, they’re doing it with a vengence, first “Titanic,” and now this. Blubity blub-blub blub.
It’s raining. The river, it doesn’t matter which, is rising Hank(Wayne Duvall) is manning the dam and trying desperately to keep it from blowing. The Sheriff (Randy Quaid), who’s been defeated for reelection, is evacuating the town. He is not a happy camper.
Meanwhile, other people are making preparations for the disaster that will surely come. Henry(Richard Dysart) and Doreen(Betty White), the comic relief, are setting bear traps to deter looters, Karen(Minnie Driver) is trying to protect the church and those stained glass windows she’s been restoring from the upcoming deluge. One of the banks in the state is sending an armored car manned by Charlie(Ed Asner) and his nephew Tom(Christian Slater)
to pick up the money and keep it from getting wet.
...And in a local bar, Jim(Morgan Freeman) is waiting with his cohorts Kenny(Michael Goorjian),Mr. Mehlor(Dann Florek) and Ray(Ricky Harris) to steal it.
The concept of a caper movie taking place in the middle of a natural disaster is a new one. It’s one of those things where you take an idea and take it to it’s most ridiculous and extreme. It usually doesn’t work, but in this case it does.
The reason is character. The characters are allowed to grow and change during the melodrama, and the changing coalitions within frame of the film are fascinating. Except for Driver and Slater, you’re not one hundred percent sure who to root for, something that director Mikael Salomon well understands. Freeman has to remind the audience every now and then he’s one of the BAD guys.
This also allows the deputies, Phil(Peter Murnik) and Wayne(Mark Rolston), to show dramatic internal conflict.
Gobs of gooey fun...
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