From rec.arts.sf.reviews Sun Aug 6 13:33:36 1995 Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.kth.se!nac.no!Norway.EU.net!EU.net!howland.reston.ans.net!nntp.crl.com!pacbell.com!gw2.att.com!nntpa!not-for-mail From: null@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu (Christopher Null) Subject: REVIEW: VIRTUOSITY Message-ID: Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Summary: r.a.m.r. #03906 Originator: ecl@mtgp003 Keywords: author=Null Sender: ecl@mtgpfs2.att.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Nntp-Posting-Host: mtgp003.mt.att.com Reply-To: null@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu (Christopher Null) Organization: Null Publishing Co. Date: Thu, 3 Aug 1995 15:42:00 GMT Approved: ecl@mtgpfs2.att.com Lines: 62 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3257 rec.arts.sf.reviews:820 VIRTUOSITY A film review by Christopher Null Copyright 1995 Christopher Null In the not so distant future (1999 A.D.), Virtual Reality has progressed to the point where the Virtual part isn't so clear. With the help of nanotechnology (read: really small) machines, VR simulations can take on a physical form composed of millions of these teeny robots. When a semi-crazed engineer decides to bring his ultimate bad guy VR program to life, he sneaks the chip into some of this robotic glop. Thus, Sid 6.7 is born. Sid (Russell Crowe) is version number 6.7 of a compilation of 183 personalities: mass murderers, serial killers, and Hitler-types. The ultimate villain, Sid is imbued with the ability to regenerate damage at the touch of glass (silicon), almost superhuman powers, and the cunning and mental imbalance of history's worst killers. And who would have thought ... when you let Sid out of the lab, Sid wants to kill. Preferably on national television. Enter Parker Barnes (Denzel Washington), ex-cop sent up the river for the accidental slaying of two people. Turns out that Barnes is the only one who has a chance of stopping Sid (see also, DEMOLITION MAN), so out of the lock-up he comes. Partnered with him is criminologist Madison Carter (Kelly Lynch), who holds her own as the first lead female I've seen in ages who *doesn't* get romantically entangled with the hero. Full of wicked, cutting-edge special effects, VIRTUOSITY makes a strong entry into a summer of lifeless films. It takes a while to get rolling, and the early character development is weak, but pretty soon, everyone's caught up in this innovative take on the cat and mouse game. I won't spoil the twists, but the dynamic between Sid and Barnes is quite interesting to watch. Crowe, as Sid, is the real star, playing the megalomaniacal killer with perfect poise and egocentrism, eerily reminiscent of Malcolm McDowell's Alex from A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. The only complaint I have is that with 183 professional killers inside him, you'd think he'd be a better shot with a pistol. VIRTUOSITY has its flaws, though. The main problem is that the premise of Reality vs. Fantasy isn't taken as far as it could have been (TOTAL RECALL was the last good example of this). The filmmakers have made it very clear which world we're in at all times, mainly because they're really, really busy showing off what their visual effects guys can do (expect an Oscar nomination). Supporting cast is also boring (even Academy Award winner Louise Fletcher (ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST) is wasted). Director Brett Leonard, who just came off the dismal HIDEAWAY, has thankfully redeemed himself here. Maybe the best recommendation I can give is that VIRTUOSITY is still on my mind as I replay the intriguing parts, and that's all too rare in Hollywood these days. RATING: ***1/2 +-------------------------------+ |* Unquestionably awful | |** Sub-par on many levels | |*** Average, hits and misses | |**** Good, memorable film | |***** Perfection | +-------------------------------+ From ../rec.arts.sf.reviews Tue Nov 14 14:35:40 1995 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu Aug 10 10:10:17 1995 Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Path: news.ifm.liu.se!liuida!sunic!sunic.sunet.se!mn6.swip.net!seunet!news2.swip.net!plug.news.pipex.net!pipex!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!newsfeed.internetmci.com!hookup!nntp-hub2.barrnet.net!pacbell.com!gw2.att.com!nntpa!not-for-mail From: JBERARDINELL@delphi.com (James Berardinelli) Subject: REVIEW: VIRTUOSITY Message-ID: Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Summary: r.a.m.r. #03919 Originator: ecl@mtgp003 Keywords: author=Berardinelli Sender: ecl@mtgpfs2.att.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Nntp-Posting-Host: mtgp003.mt.att.com Reply-To: JBERARDINELL@delphi.com (James Berardinelli) Organization: - Date: Mon, 7 Aug 1995 15:16:06 GMT Approved: ecl@mtgpfs2.att.com Lines: 73 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3267 rec.arts.sf.reviews:823 VIRTUOSITY A film review by James Berardinelli Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli RATING (0 TO 10): 5.7 United States, 1995 U.S. Availability: wide release 8/4/95 Running Length: 1:46 MPAA Classification: R (Violence, profanity, sexual situations) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cast: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Kelly Lynch, William Forsythe, Stephen Spinella Director: Brett Leonard Producer: Gary Lucchesi Screenplay: Eric Bernt Cinematography: Gale Tattersall Music: Christopher Young U.S. Distributor: Paramount Pictures A general rule of summer film watching is to beware any August release featuring a major star. The only reason for a distributor to hold back such a production is a lack of faith in the picture's ability to succeed in the highly-competitive early season, and that's usually an indication of a poor movie. Denzel Washington is a big box office draw, and Paramount's decision to strand his latest, VIRTUOSITY, in the August marketplace isn't a vote of confidence. Their uncertainty is well- founded. About the best thing that can be said about VIRTUOSITY is that it's director Brett Leonard's most impressive effort to date -- but considering that his previous features were the awful LAWNMOWER MAN and HIDEAWAY, such a statement is damning with faint praise. The villain of the piece is Sid 6.7 (Russell Crowe), a "nanotech synthetic organism" with the combined personality of hundreds of serial killers. Somewhere in his programmed mind are the psyches of Hitler, Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, and the sadist responsible for the death of our hero's wife and daughter. That hero is ex-cop Parker Barnes (Washington), who's serving time behind bars because he shot a few innocent bystanders in his quest to exterminate his family's murderer. Now, through Sid 6.7, he gets a chance to redeem himself -- eliminate Sid and he can clear his record and his conscience. The problem with this film is not the star. Despite slumming in a picture far below the quality of his normal fare, Washington is still the best thing about VIRTUOSITY. In fact, he injects some much needed energy into the proceedings. Australian actor Russell Crowe is an adequate bad guy, although his Sid 6.7 lacks the vicious intensity with which Crowe imbued his ROMPER STOMPER skinhead. Kelly Lynch, who plays Barnes' criminal psychologist partner, is dreadful -- and I'm not just talking about her hairdo. We could care less what happens to her character. At least we're spared a romance between her and Barnes. VIRTUOSITY's failing is its plot. What passes for a storyline is part recycled formula and part incomprehensible technobabble. The film blunders along, usually making very little sense, waiting for the next (of many) action scenes. Generally, these are well choreographed, even though they're familiar: car chases, rooftop fist-fights and shootouts, and a child-in-danger scenario. There's little in the way of originality. Virtual reality (where Sid gets his start before crossing into our world) is rapidly becoming an overused motion picture plot device. As was true of Sandra Bullock in THE NET, carrying VIRTUOSITY falls on Washington's shoulders. For what it's worth, he makes the movie watchable. Ultimately, however, he has little to work with in this dreary, film-by-numbers flick -- even RICOCHET offered more substance. Nevertheless, given Washington's presence and the promise of a virtual reality action story, VIRTUOSITY has some appeal -- provided, of course, the viewers aren't selective. - James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com) From rec.arts.sf.reviews Tue Nov 26 09:28:30 1996 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!liuida!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!sunic!02-newsfeed.univie.ac.at!01-newsfeed.univie.ac.at!swidir.switch.ch!news.grnet.gr!btnet-feed2!btnet!newsfeed.internetmci.com!mr.net!www.nntp.primenet.com!nntp.primenet.com!howland.erols.net!nntp.crl.com!news.pbi.net!cbgw3.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: joeclark@gold.interlog.com (Joe Clark) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: VIRTUOSITY (1996) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 19 Nov 1996 19:24:19 GMT Organization: InterLog Internet Services Lines: 77 Sender: eleeper@lucent.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: eleeper@lucent.com Message-ID: <56t1h3$537@nntpb.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: joeclark@gold.interlog.com (Joe Clark) NNTP-Posting-Host: mtvoyager.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #06355 Keywords: author=Clark Originator: ecl@mtvoyager Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:5757 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1115 VIRTUOSITY A film review by Joe Clark Copyright 1996 Joe Clark Pervertuosity with Denz 'n' Russ You'd think the creators of a movie featuring both Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe might have starstruck fags in mind, and in the case of Virtuosity, you might be right. But prepare yourself for a slap in the face even as the drool collects in your lap. Afrikanski-Amerikanski heartthrob unit Denzel Washington plays Parker Barnes, a murderer/ex-cop sprung from jail to track down and terminate Sid 6.7, a composite of infamous killers' personality traits created by a programmer named Lindenmeyer (Stephen Spinella, outfag actor of Angels in America fame). Sid was devised as a virtual-reality cop-training tool, but when the Sid project is threatened with shutdown after a rather nasty software bug emerges, Lindenmeyer sets Sid loose on the world with the help of nanotechnology, which turns a virtual Sid into a real one formed from glass. Sid is the real star here-- amoral and sexy, cold-blooded and charming, murderous and fuckable. He's animated (literally) by Russell Crowe, late of The Sum of Us; Crowe's wide-ranging acting talents continue to impress, and the young Australian brilliantly imparts Sid's single-minded intelligence, savoir-faire (savoir-tuer?), and gleeful sadism. And as usual, Australians do better American accents than Americans. Sid's a bit of a rake, too-- and since he contains a dollop of Jeffrey Dahmer, he has a way with the gents as well as the ladies. It's pretty subtle-- a peck on the cheek; a remark that Denzel Washington is on Sid's dance card; forcing a guy to strip so Sid can try on his suit-- but lighthearted and far less insidious than the rank aberrance of, say, Scott Pritchard, the deranged queer military attache in No Way Out. In a Van Damme-esque frisson of homoeroticism, Washington and Crowe are both naked in the film (though not frontally); in a shoot-'em-up movie, that's psychologically significant. (Who's the main audience for action flicks? Guys. You figure it out.) Still, Vito Russo is surely whirling in his grave at Lindenmeyer, a stereotypical Hollywood sissy straight out of the '50s. Lindenmeyer's faggotry is never stated outright, but we know the signs: Perennially uptight in his three-piece suit, the friendless geek lives alone, talks in a "typical gay voice" (is Spinella capable of any other kind?), and jealously relishes how his creation toys with Madison Carter (played by Kelly Lynch), a female criminologist who accompanies Barnes on his quest for Sid. Oh, and he jerks off after conjuring a naked Sid in the privacy of Lindenmeyer's own lab. This, we assume, is a sign. But getting all up in arms at yet another example of filmic homo slander takes concentration, and Virtuosity's string of cinematic references are quite enough to distract you. Early on, Denzel Washington's dishevelment and demeanour recall his role as Steve Biko in Cry Freedom. (What's more, Virtuosity's anticlimactic ending mirrors that film's structure.) At one point Washington's fingers linger over Lynch's as in Silence of the Lambs, but with the added zing of miscegenation. Virtuosity's plot, editing and soundtrack are Natural-Born Killers Lite. Saturday Night Fever is blatantly quoted in a brief but funny vignette. Madison Carter is a science-fiction reference: Edison Carter had a doppelgaenger named Max Headroom. High-and-mighty Gitanes-smoking intellectual filmheads might dismiss those quotations as a hollow pastiche, and indeed this is not The Player, where the cavalcade of references made sense in a movie about movies. But contrary to typical Hollywood formula, Washington and Lynch don't get romantically involved, and for Washington there's no happy ending. Virtuosity is a perplexing mishmash-- creative, derivative, homoerotic, and homophobic all at once. -- Joe Clark joeclark@interlog.com