JoBlo
11-26-2001, 05:06 AM
GUARDING TESS (1994)
Director: Hugh Wilson
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Shirley MacLaine, Austin Pendleton
It's no secret that many people on this board don't like Nic Cage. It's also no secret that I've always admired the bastard for his acting choices...well, at least I used to!! (before he and a certain Bruckheimer gentleman started to become a little too chummy-chummy for my taste-- but I digress). Anyway, the "old Cage" used to try different things every year. He used to enjoy playing "quirky" characters instead of the bogus one-dimensional ones that he's sadly getting known for lately. Some of my favorite Cage performances include RAISING ARIZONA, PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED, LEAVING LAS VEGAS, VAMPIRE'S KISS, HONEYMOON IN VEGAS, WILD AT HEART and a handful of others. This film seemed to be one of the last ones that he did before turning into "action man", and it's an okay flick, although nothing to really write home about.
The only thing that keeps this movie going, and interesting for that matter, is the tete-a-tete back and forth between Cage and the tempestuous Shirley MacLaine, playing an aging, widowed First Lady, with an attitude. I liked the nastiness between the two characters and appreciated where each one was coming from (it was never made to be overly-comical, such that you don't believe their behaviour). For example, even though Cage's character hates working for this woman, he continues to act "professionally" the whole time and gathers much respect for that (he doesn't start acting goofy and sabotating stuff around the house, which is what I thought might happen).
MacLaine's character is also not overly-evil, she does have some definite personality "issues", but there's enough insight given by the film, to provide for a better understanding of where she's coming from as well.
Anyway, they were both fun to watch, especially as the film moved forward, and they slowly started to understand each other better, and notice the similarities between them.
So why am I not talking about the film's plot line? Well, to be honest...there's no real story here. The "set-up" as it is (Cage is a secret service agent hired to watch over the ex-First Lady) is basically the whole movie. I will say that the first hour of the film is more interesting because there's that Sam-Diane (from "Cheers") love/hate thing going on between the two, while the film's final half hour just creates this over-the-top circumstance which is really nothing more than a diversion created solely for the purpose of having "something" happen in the story. Well, I didn't buy it and definitely predicted every step of its denouement. But having said that, the film still worked for me overall, because of the good chemistry between Cage and MacLaine.
Incidentally, the conversations with Cage and the President of the United States on the phone are enough for a rental...trust me...the guy swears like there's no tomorrow...it's quite hilarious! (Note: the voice on the phone is actually writer/director Hugh Wilson).
"Goddamnit, Doug, I'm supposed to be handling the problems of the free world here, and I'm dealing with a Secret Serviceman who's stealing flowers from a little old lady."
Director: Hugh Wilson
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Shirley MacLaine, Austin Pendleton
It's no secret that many people on this board don't like Nic Cage. It's also no secret that I've always admired the bastard for his acting choices...well, at least I used to!! (before he and a certain Bruckheimer gentleman started to become a little too chummy-chummy for my taste-- but I digress). Anyway, the "old Cage" used to try different things every year. He used to enjoy playing "quirky" characters instead of the bogus one-dimensional ones that he's sadly getting known for lately. Some of my favorite Cage performances include RAISING ARIZONA, PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED, LEAVING LAS VEGAS, VAMPIRE'S KISS, HONEYMOON IN VEGAS, WILD AT HEART and a handful of others. This film seemed to be one of the last ones that he did before turning into "action man", and it's an okay flick, although nothing to really write home about.
The only thing that keeps this movie going, and interesting for that matter, is the tete-a-tete back and forth between Cage and the tempestuous Shirley MacLaine, playing an aging, widowed First Lady, with an attitude. I liked the nastiness between the two characters and appreciated where each one was coming from (it was never made to be overly-comical, such that you don't believe their behaviour). For example, even though Cage's character hates working for this woman, he continues to act "professionally" the whole time and gathers much respect for that (he doesn't start acting goofy and sabotating stuff around the house, which is what I thought might happen).
MacLaine's character is also not overly-evil, she does have some definite personality "issues", but there's enough insight given by the film, to provide for a better understanding of where she's coming from as well.
Anyway, they were both fun to watch, especially as the film moved forward, and they slowly started to understand each other better, and notice the similarities between them.
So why am I not talking about the film's plot line? Well, to be honest...there's no real story here. The "set-up" as it is (Cage is a secret service agent hired to watch over the ex-First Lady) is basically the whole movie. I will say that the first hour of the film is more interesting because there's that Sam-Diane (from "Cheers") love/hate thing going on between the two, while the film's final half hour just creates this over-the-top circumstance which is really nothing more than a diversion created solely for the purpose of having "something" happen in the story. Well, I didn't buy it and definitely predicted every step of its denouement. But having said that, the film still worked for me overall, because of the good chemistry between Cage and MacLaine.
Incidentally, the conversations with Cage and the President of the United States on the phone are enough for a rental...trust me...the guy swears like there's no tomorrow...it's quite hilarious! (Note: the voice on the phone is actually writer/director Hugh Wilson).
"Goddamnit, Doug, I'm supposed to be handling the problems of the free world here, and I'm dealing with a Secret Serviceman who's stealing flowers from a little old lady."