Subject: REVIEW: DAYBREAK

From: [email-masked] (berardinelli,james)
Date: Wed, 12 May 1993 19:35:40 GMT

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				    DAYBREAK
		       A film review by James Berardinelli
			Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli

Rating: 6.2 out of 10 (C, ** out of ****)  

First Air Date:  5/8/93
Running Length:  1:29
Rated:  R (Violence, nudity, sex, language, mature themes)

Starring:  Cuba Gooding Jr., Moira Kelly, Omar Eppes, Martha Plimpton, 
	   Alice Drummond
Director:  Stephen Tolkin
Producer:  John Bard Manulis
Screenplay:  Stephen Tolkin based on the play Beirut by Alan Bowne
Music:  Michel Colombier
Released by HBO Showcase

     DAYBREAK, a made-for-HBO movie, tells the story of a group of
rebels and their struggles against the totalitarian government that has
the United States in its grasp.  The film takes place in New York City
in the "near future" during a time when a sizable portion of the
country's population has become infected by a fatal
sexually-transmitted disease.  Those so diagnosed are put into care
centers that are little better than concentration camps.  Getting
caught escaping from one of those places results in execution.  In the
midst of this bleak landscape, Blue (Moira Kelly) meets Torch (Cuba
Gooding Jr.), the leader of a group of rebels.  Immediately attracted
to both him and his cause, Blue actively seeks to join the band.  She
finds out, however, that the work involved is far more dangerous--and
violent--than handing out seditious literature.

     DAYBREAK is an easy movie to review, because its strengths and
weaknesses are obvious.  Unfortunately, there are more of the latter
than the former.  Supposedly a science fiction tale, DAYBREAK is
actually a morality play.  Although AIDS is never mentioned by name as
the "mysterious" disease that afflicts the nation's population, enough
evidence is given to make it plain that this is the case.

     This film can be divided into two halves--a staggeringly bad
first half that is mostly action/adventure and a stronger second half
which focuses more on dramatic issues.  As is almost always the case
with short (89 minutes) motion pictures that try to do a lot, the tone
and pacing of DAYBREAK are inconsistent, leading to a degree of viewer
alienation which is not desirable with the remote controller so close.
This isn't a theater where you have to walk out to get away from the
movie.

     At any rate, the initial forty-five minutes of DAYBREAK is saddled
with a predictable plot and weak characterization.  By waiting for the
second half to delve into the characters, the film strands its audience
through the first half with a group of people that we don't know and
don't care about.  The movie also has a habit of making
everything--people and situations--all good or all evil.  There aren't
many "gray areas" in DAYBREAK, with few flaws in the heroes and few
redeeming qualities in the villains.

     The long dramatic scene in the second half almost saves the
movie.  It is tense and emotional, but only makes up about 20% of
DAYBREAK's running time.  The action scenes are probably meant to add
excitement to the movie, but they're too pedestrian, and danger without
well-drawn characters tends to be more routine than entertaining.

     While few will deny that the message of DAYBREAK--the danger of
intolerance and misunderstanding--is positive (and certainly
politically correct), it's nothing new and has previously been
presented in more effective forums.  This is an unremittingly grim
portrayal of the future, with little in the way of comic relief (or
anything else to lessen the emotional tension).  Even the love story is
dark and brooding, with undercurrents of death.

     One thing that DAYBREAK does well is give us an interracial
romance where skin color is a complete non-issue.  Even as this story
probes intolerance against AIDS victims, it erases racism.  There isn't
the usual class of cultures, since Blue and Torch obviously come from
economically and socially similar--if racially dissimilar--backgrounds.

     The acting by the two leads is uniformly strong, although there is
one scene (where Martha Plimpton's Lori gets the results of her AIDS
test) that no one does a good job in.  For whatever reason, this short
one-minute is jarring, peppered with emotions that don't seem real and
dialogue delivered in an unconvincing fashion.  Other than that,
however, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Moira Kelly, both who have shown
considerable talent in the past, impress, bringing more life to this
story than the plot warrants.  As difficult as it is to do when faced
with a banal script, Gooding and Kelly deliver heartfelt--and
occasionally powerful--performances.

     Were this a theatrical release, I would unconditionally not
recommend it.  Likewise, if you don't have HBO, DAYBREAK is certainly
not a reason to rush out and buy it.  However, if you have ready access
to the pay channel, watching this film wouldn't be a disastrous, or
completely unrewarding, move.  DAYBREAK isn't good, but neither is it
terrible, and there are a lot worse things on television to watch.  The
movie has its moments, and a couple of strong acting jobs, but on the
whole, the sun never rises on DAYBREAK.

- James Berardinelli ([email-masked])