U-Turn Review
by "Nick Schaden" (cpunut AT uslink DOT net)October 6th, 1997
U-TURN (1997)
A film review by Nick Schaden
Copyright 1997 Nick Schaden
Oliver Stone is an expert filmmaker that for years has loved probing deep political and social questions into the audience's mind. Amazingly, "U-Turn" has no deep message, and at its core is little more than a well made noir-style thriller. Don't let this deceive you. Stone's veteran directing, original and stunning cinematography, and rock solid acting by all the leads make "U-Turn" a great movie.
"U-Turn" starts seemingly out in the middle of nowhere. Bobby Cooper (Sean Penn) is driving with his Mustang when boom, his car overheats, and soon enough, Bobby is stuck dead in the middle of a hick, backwoods town. He spots Grace (Jennifer Lopez), the femme-fatale we've come to expect from this noir movie genre. Psycho husband Jake (Nick Nolte) soon confronts Bobby on having his own wife killed. Darrell the auto mechanic (a hilarious Billy Bob Thornton) wants more money to repair the Mustang than Bobby can afford. These are just a few of the many predicaments time and time again that Bobby is faced with - he simply can't find a way out of town, and its striking similarity to "Red Rock West" should be noted. In many ways, "U-Turn" winks at the audience with irony: Bobby is like a humanized version of Freud's Id, he has no loyalty and dignity and has worked in the past for quick gratification. Now, in some twisted fate, the tables are turned upon him, with the members of "U-Turn"'s setting refusing to show any loyalty or dignity to Bobby. Under careful direction by Stone, the plot plays out wonderfully, keeping the tension, mystery, and occasional comic relief at high levels throughout.
Almost everything about "U-Turn" seems to be executed well. Acting is strong: Sean Penn is incredibly believable, Jennifer Lopez is sexy and manipulative, and Nick Nolte plays his meanest and slickest role in many years. The cinematography by Robert Richardson instantly rings bells of Oliver Stone's earlier "Natural Born Killers". We see grainy, polarized outdoor shots, in your face close ups, blurs, black and white, color, etc. It all makes for a technically breathtaking movie.
Why so many critics have blasted this movie is above me - the plot is fresh, the acting is good, and the cinematography is great, all wrapped together nicely by Oliver Stone. While for some of the audience "U-Turn"'s violence and sex may be too in your face, "U-Turn" makes for a gripping movie that in this reviewer's mind works wonderfully.
Nick's Rating: +4 (Highly Recommended)
*** Movies rated from -4 (worst) to +4 (best), 0=average movie ***
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Nick Schaden
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