Hollow Man Review
by "Alex Ioshpe" (ioshpe AT online DOT no)October 12th, 2000
DIRECTED BY: Martin Scorsese
WRITTEN BY: Andrew W. Marlowe, vaguelly based upon a novel by H.G. Wells
CAST: Elisabeth Shue, Kevin Bacon, Josh Brolin, Kim Dickens, Greg Grunberg
MPAA: Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexuality/nudity.
Runtime: USA:112
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RATING: 4 /10
"Very hollow, man"
This is an adaptation of H. G. Wells' acclaimed novel 'The Invisible
Man' . The actors are Kevin Beacon and Elizabeth Shue. The director is
Paul Verhoven. That, plus a quick demonstration of the amazing special
effects in the trailer, should be enough to lure us into the
theatre. The problem is to keep us there. I can't imagine anyone who
would like to see this movie a second time.
Working on a top secret military project, Sebastian Caine (Kevin
Beacon) -- an eccentric genius, that calls himself "God", has
discovered the secret to invisibility. The first two faces are
completed. Now, it is time for "the next logical step" -- human. Caine volunteers for this risky experiment. But when he is made invisible,
something goes wrong. While his ex-girlfriend Linda (Elisabeth Shue) desperately tries to find something to return him to normal, he learns
that invisibility is more of a prison than a superpower. But that's
not the bad thing -- an unexpected side-effect of the drug sends him
careening into paranoid megalomania. He is naturally given a couple of
modest superpowers, just enough for him to survive immolation from a
flame thrower and an explosion of about a quart of
nitroglycerine. Soon every sense of decency is forgotten. The little intelligence that was left disappears as Verhoven looses control and
the film turns into an Alien-rip-off, where Caine is walking like a
half finished Terminator, spooking, scaring and killing everybody.
Though it's based on a novel called 'The Invisible Man', the title has
been ironically changed to 'Hollow Man' that sums up the film very
nicely. This is a very silly production. Laughable,
actually. Apparently Verhoven's imagination doesn't stretch too
far. For him the only worthwhile reason to become invisible is so you
can case the girls' locker room undetected. It is this primitive
schoolboy mentality that eventually kills the movie. Being invisible,
gives you the opportunity to be who you are, to do what you want
without being influenced by society. In many ways it gives you an
illusion of having a life without consequences. The nature of man and
his place in society is what the novel is truly about. All that, the
depth and true horror of the book is gone and only special effects
make you remain in your seat. Caine does use his power voyeuristically
in Hollow Man. But since this is a modernization, in other words a dehumanization, he doesn't stop there. He becomes a rapist. And then,
of course, a murderer.
You'll start wondering why such actors as Beacon and Shue found
themselves in such film in the first place. Shue's talent is barely
seen, Josh Brolin is underused and the rest of the cast suffer mostly
for the lack of talent. Kevin Beacon is the only one that performs
gracefully. His face is not seen for the most part of the film, and
the only way he exists is as a disembodied voice. There are times when
his presence actually saves the film from being completely
embarrassing.
In the end the effects are the only reason to see this film in the
first place. Being probably the best technical achievement since
"Jurassic Park", they are absolutely amazing. We observe the layers of
skin, muscle, tissue, and bone being peeled away as a body is slowly
rendered invisible. We see a beating heart, inflating lungs, and veins
pulsing with newly-pumped blood. There are a couple of inventive shots
with smoke, fire, air and water, but are a few scenes like that worth
attending a movie for? What is truly disturbing is that with a great
book, talented actors and a grand budget, this could have been so much
more. Pretty much like Jan De Bont ("Twister", "Haunting"), Paul
Verhoven has never made anything extraordinary. He was responsible for
several good films ("Basic Instinct" and "Starship Troopers)" and some incredibly bad films ("Showgirls", "Total Recall"), but he has never
made anything that was great. In a way "Hollow Man" fits perfectly in
this collection. It's not better or worse than Verhoven's average
film. He proves once again that he is incapable of handling more
complex issues. And so, instead of depth and chills, Verhoven inserts
some of his trademarks: stupid dialogue, and lot's of dull action with
blood and naked bodies. He even throws in some of the worst of film
clichés — the slowly advancing fireball, the villain who comes
back from the dead, etc, etc. — and tops the whole thing off with
one of the most ridiculous endings of the year (you'll be screaming
"NOOOOO!" and attempt to run towards the exit in slow motion). And all
we can ask is why? The answer is simple. Though Hollywood is a movie
producing machine, the business of moviemaking has to be about
something more than money. It has to be about telling stories, not
marketing them. It has to be about transporting us to a different
place, to dazzle us with magic and cleverness. To make us care, to
make us think and feel. Verhoven has obviously missed that point and
this film is a proof of that. It's all flesh and bones, but no soul.
a void where its imagination should be.
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