Search - Reindeer Games (Blu-Ray) [Blu-ray] on Blu-ray

Mr. Ben's Mild Ride

phimseto | Chestnut Hill, MA United States | 06/06/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"After trashing "Pearl Harbor" last year and "The Sum of All Fears" this year, I felt the pangs of guilt telling me I was picking on local boy Ben Affleck. Therefore, to appease my conscience, I decided to review a Ben Affleck film I enjoy - John Frankenheimer's "Reindeer Games". "Reindeer Games" is just about the most unremarkable, low-stakes thriller you could ever expect to see, featuring all the obvious twists, all the obvious turns, and set in locations and in pursuit of prizes that do not exactly get the viewer buzzing with excitement. What makes the film work, in its own modest way, are the director and the cast. Frankenheimer is covering old territory here, but it is like watching a veteran baseball player at the plate or in the field - you've seen it a thousand times before but it is still fun to watch. Frankenheimer knows how to edit his films just right, and he always gets a kinky, dark edge out of all his scripts. "Reindeer Games" is no exception, and one of the DVD bonus features regarding differences between the film and this director's cut really lays out why Frankenheimer should be allowed to present the material as he sees fit. The film has just enough jarring moments that, even though you've seen the typical twists and betrayals before, Frankenheimer keeps it compelling and interesting. The cast, too, rises above the pedestrian heist plot, tackling the film enthusiastically. The movie does not ask them to do too much, so they have fun with what they have. Ben Affleck goes into smartmouth mode, familiar territory, but puts it to amusing use as a criminal roped into doing a job he wants no part of. One of the more amusing repeat gags involves his quest for some pecan pie, either a subtle nod or lift of Bruce Willis' cappucino quest in "Hudson Hawk". Charlize Theron is alternating sweet and petulent as his would-be girlfriend. Gary Sinise, Clarence Williams, and Danny Trejo are good, menacing fun as the heavies. Perhaps the biggest fun is Dennis Farina hamming it up as the casino manager who brings Vegas-style class by operating a bar that offers both Coke and Pepsi. A film like "Reindeer Games" moves along quickly. It has to or the inertia will allow the viewer to realize just how silly the film is. Frankenheimer keeps the film busy enough to keep the viewer curious and engaged, while the cast does a good job of providing enough quirks and quality performances so that the film isn't forgotten two seconds after the credits start rolling. "Reindeer Games" is not deep, ambitious, or original, but it is a comfortable and quality cover of heist films past."