Reviews

Films

Space Cowboys

Directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones

Grumpy Old Men meets Apollo 13 - sounds a bit naff doesn't it? Even the poster for Space Cowboys, which shows its four aged stars having a belly laugh, doesn't exactly inspire excitement or even that much curiosity. But this is helmed by one of the greatest living directors - Clint Eastwood - and despite its cringe-worthy premise, turns out to be a dignified affair rather than just four members of the old boys club reuniting for another moment in the sun. Subtle in its observations, it's actually another acute chapter in Eastwood's lifelong study of masculinity.

Back in the '50s, Frank (Eastwood), Hawk (Tommy Lee Jones), Tank (James Garner) and Jerry (Donald Sutherland) were the best of the best - the bunch most likely to be America's first men on the moon. However, when the powers decided to go with a chimpanzee instead, the quartet missed their shot at history and instead faded into relative obscurity. Decades later, an old Russian space station is in dire need of repair and the only man capable of such a job is Frank. The old team is then reunited, trained and blown into the stars where they face a threat none was prepared for.

OK, it's a goofy story but it's made fun by the four screen legends who relish the opportunity to inject a bit of old-school charisma into the proceedings. It's refreshing to watch these screen icons not only have a laugh at their own expense but also show an industry obsessed with youth that it takes more than good looks to woo an audience. While it features considerable special effects, Space Cowboys uses the computer enhancements as a narrative tool; in effect, this old-geezers-in-space-romp succeeds in keeping the winning camaraderie the center of attention - not CGI. Ben Davey

Firewall

Directed by Richard Loncraine, starring Harrison Ford amd Paul Bettany

We've seen Harrison Ford do this many times before - play the ordinary man dealing with extraordinary circumstances. Actioners like The Fugitive, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger show that the one-time Han Solo sure knows a thing or two about the regular Joe being pushed too far. Here, Ford plays yet another underdog of sorts, albeit an immensely wealthy one who lives with his family in a lakefront glass palace. Trouble is, Ford's become what Danny Glover would describe as "too old for this sh-". Literally.

The megastar is well past 60 - 64, in fact - and any role where he has to make us believe that he can go blow-for-blow with terrorists half his age is going to be tough to pull off. But here he is, as computer security expert Jack who works for a Seattle bank. The dad of two (kids which by my calculation he must have fathered after 50) is then put in a squeeze when money hungry tech thieves hold his wife and children at gunpoint. The group's leader, Cox (Paul Bettany) tells our hero that he must cipher $100 million from his customers account or bullets start flying.

At the very least, Firewall scores a few points for playing on fears of technology. Perhaps this is the reason why silver fox Ford was cast in the lead part - to hook in elderly viewers who have legitimate fears of online banking and such. Unfortunately, this is not so much a film about technophobia as it is any one of Ford's previous back-against-the-wall thrillers with some dialogue about megabytes and stuff thrown in. Firewall's greatest mistake though, was to bet the house on its star being able to pull off the kind of rough and tumble he was famous for a few decades ago. BD

(China Daily 11/23/2007 page20)