Be Cool - Film Review

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Directed by F. Gary Gray.
Writers Elmore Leonard (novel), Peter Steinfeld (screenplay).
Starring John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn, Cedric the Entertainer, André Benjamin, Harvey Keitel, Christina Milian, Dwayne Johnson etc.
Country: USA
Language: English, a little Russian


It being a sequel, it was only fitting for me to watch Be Cool straight after Get Shorty. Boy was I disappointed! This sequel came out ten years following the first movie and with a different director. It's based on a novel by the same author as Get Shorty but with a different screenwriter.

So again we follow Chili Palmer. He's produced a number of successful movies and now wants to get into the music business. With the help of Edie (Uma Thurman), now head of a failing record label, Chili signs on a new star while trying to fend off rival labels and the Russians. The story is as far-fetched as they come. Just stupid. All the characters are just ridiculous and unconvincing.

This movie is an awkward farce compared to the first film. Get Shorty had style and substance. Be Cool is a slapstick joke similar to the Scary Movie franchise or Chevy Chase movies. The script is horrendous and too blatant. The camera work makes the scenes generic. The music choice was too obvious and came across as contrived. The whole movie seems like it's trying to be like the first one but failing horribly. Yes, I do admit there are funny moments but with the arsenal of such top actors (Travolta, Thurman, Keitel) how did such a mediocre movie result? The first movie was a tribute to mafia films of old where Be Cool tries to modernize it and just misses the point.

In conclusion, I have little to merit to this film. The production value is good and the acting isn't terrible but the writing and execution of the film in general is just uninspiring. It was passable as a no brainer flick I guess, so that's why I'd give it a 5 out of 10.

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