Firewall Review
by Jerry Saravia (faustus_08520 AT yahoo DOT com)March 3rd, 2006
FIREWALL (2006)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
Viewed on March 2nd, 2006
RATING: Three stars
When our beleaguered and intrepid computer security
specialist, Jack Stanfield (Harrison Ford), finds a way to trap the villains, he growls a cliched response to their
demands that doesn't feel like a cliche. Ford growls,
"You don't get a dime!" Any other actor saying it would've felt like the cliche it is. Harrison Ford mines it for the direct threat it is.
As "Firewall" begins, Jack is conversing with a new
client, Bill Cox (Paul Bettany) who will help foresee
a merger thanks to Jack's associate (Robert Forster,
who has a slightly smaller role than in "Mulholland Dr."). But before Jack can leave his business appointment,
Bill gets in Jack's car, holds him at gunpoint, forces
him to drive to Jack's house, confronts Jack's family
who's already hostage to some of Bill's minions, and
comes up with a new proposal. Bill wants Jack to
electronically rob his own bank - a round figure of about
100 million from several customer accounts. If Jack
doesn't comply, his family will be killed. Of course, one
can surmise that if Jack does comply, his family will
be killed anyway.
Yes, my dear moviegoers, we have seen this scenario
countless times before. The new additions to the plot
are the modern technological devices such as iPods
used as hard drives, duplicating cell phones, using
laptops in bathrooms (I rather enjoyed that moment)
and so on. Everything else that occurs can be legitimately guessed by the average moviegoer (though who would
have guessed that these robbers enjoy Hungry Man
dinners and Fred Flinstone. Makes them seem almost
human).
So why on earth am I recommending "Firewall"? One
simple reason: Harrison Ford makes the movie entertaining
and that is what counts. I must confess that I have not
been kind to Ford in the last ten years. Everything he
appeared in since 1995, from the insufferable "Sabrina"
remake to the truly preposterous "Air Force One," to the
astoundingly awful "What Lies Beneath" and "The
Devil's Own," gave me the impression that Ford was not
in his element (don't get me harping on "Hollywood
Homicide"). But as Jack Stanfield, Ford is more cocksure
and focused than ever. His steadfast determination to set
everything right is felt from one frame to the next. Even the obligatory fistfight feels urgent because it is Ford in a vulnerable mode, and he's one of a select few that can make the most
jaded viewer care about his plight.
There are even slight, perhaps unintended homages to
other Ford films. When Jack is on a roof and descends
to someone's apartment on a rainy night, you can't help
but think of "Blade Runner." A suspenseful sequence
where Ford madly types away at a computer terminal
and evades being caught by his boss (Robert Patrick)
brings up memories of "Clear and Present Danger."
Ford asleep at his secretary's house while trying to find
his family reminds one of "Frantic."
As for the supporting cast, it is a mixed bag at best.
Paul Bettany is a strange kind of villain - he threatens
but never truly means any harm to Jack's family (though
to be fair, he does try to kill their son by taking advantage of his allergy to nuts). Bettany's Bill is far more threatening whenever his minions screw up - he just shoots them in
the head point blank. And I never quite understood what
Bill's motives were beyond robbing the bank - villains and terrorists in these thrillers never seem to think beyond
financial matters. Still, Bettany has strong rapport with
Ford and sparkles every time they share a scene together.
Virginia Madsen could certainly have used more leverage
for her role as the domesticated wife (a stay-at-home
architect to be sure). Robert Forster and Alan Arkin seem
to exist in a vacuum - blink, and you'll forget they ever appeared in the film. Robert Patrick could've have had an extra scene or two since he is a powerful presence (unless Ford was
afraid of being upstaged). The one actor that truly shines is Mary Lynn Rajskub ("Punch Drunk Love") as Jack's
secretary. She is a quirky actress with enough wit and
spunk to make one wish she was cast as Jack's wife -
hell, why the hell not? If Calista Flockhart can be Ford's real-life squeeze...get the picture?
"Firewall" is a walking cliche where you can anticipate
its every move, but it has Harrison Ford doing what he
does best - delivering the fearless action hero who has
to do everything he can to protect his family. For some
of us, that is about as satisfying a time at the movies
as one has come to expect.
For more reviews, check out JERRY AT THE MOVIES at:
http://www.jerryatthemovies.com/
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