MAD MEL: Brian Helgeland's "Payback"

INTRODUCTION: Amidst the dearth of cinema going experiences that this season tends to herald, one film seems shine out above the rest, by virtue of an action packed trailer. Multi-award winning "L.A. Confidential" scribe Helgland makes his directorial debut with this retro-noir updating of John Boorman's 1967 classic "Point Blank". Unfortunately the film does not live up to it's noble lineage or indeed to its trailer.

SYNOPSIS: The uni-named Porter (Gibson), junkie wife Lynn (Unger) and partner in crime Val (Henry) perform a perfectly executed heist, relieving a group of Chinese triad types of a coll $140,000. Things go awry however, when divvying up the loot leads to Lynn and Val betraying Porter and leaving him for dead with nothing but an impressive collection of bullet holes for his troubles.

Porter makes a miraculous recovery from his wounds with the aid of a back street surgeon and half a bottle of whisky and with the assistance of old-friend Rosie (Bello) sets out to recover his half of the ill-gotten gains. Unfortunately Val no longer has the money, having used it to buy his way back into the cities leading crime syndicate known only as 'The Outfit'. Thus Porter finds himself working his way up the Outfit's personnel tree from local con-man Stegman (Paymer) via the likes of Carter (Devane) and Fairfax (Coburn) to the big boss himself Bronson (Kristofferson).

REVIEW: Opening with scenes of minor surgery as a back street surgeon removes gunshot from the battered body of Porter the audience is fully prepared for the unpleasantness ahead. And unpleasant it is, Helgland leaves no depths of sadism unplumbed as torture, graphic violence and even S&M prostitution in the form of Lucy Liu are employed in his attempts to shock an unshockable 90's audience.

Helgeland, who previously wrote for Gibson on the overwrought "Conspiracy Theory" and Hayes who scripted Gibson to fame with "Mad Max" are united for this adaptation of Donald E. Westlake's (writing as Richard Stark) classic novel. Sadly this smacks more of the work Helgeland did on "The Postman" and "Assassins" rather than his Oscar winning work on "L.A. Confidential". With stilted clich‚ ridden voice-overs   la "Blade Runner", dull QTesque 'hip' dialogue, and a mind-numbingly run-of-the-mill d‚nouement, which throws away the biggest strength of the original film. Ultimately the film succeeds or fails on how you take to Gibson's portrayal of Porter.

We are given unappealing insights into the nature of our erstwhile hero right from the start as we are shown shots of him picking pockets, committing credit card fraud, stealing from beggars and not leaving tips for waitresses. Such despicable behaviour does not a likeable character make, but then Gibson couldn't play a truly bad guy if he tried. Instead what we are given is Martin Riggs, his character in "Lethal Weapon", pushed too far. 'Root for the bad guy' goes the tag line and that's none to hard with Gibson's accomplished charm in the lead, sadly his acting abilities don't quite match up.

In the course of his trip Gibson enlists the aid of old friend and current Organisation prostitute Rosie (Bello) and her vicious dog Porter, paving the way for a largely forgotten romantic sub-plot , with the girl not the dog. This seems almost mandatory in these post "Titanic" times but little is made of it. Indeed the woman in this movie receive short shrift, consisting as they do of two prostitutes and a junkie, but then perhaps that's the only sort of woman you find in Chicago's underworld.

Bello of TV's "ER" does the best with her under-written role but really is given too little space to develop a believable chemistry with Gibson. Liu of TV's "Ally McBeal" fares little better with her one joke characterisation of a dominatrix hooker. While Unger despite being given the opportunity to shoot Gibson and finally O.D. comes of worst of all with an entirely forgettable performance.

The great Kristofferson is brilliantly menacing as the big boss while late addition to the cast Coburn mercilessly hams it up, without a strong directorial hand to control, Helgeland had parted company with the project by the time Coburn's scenes were tacked on. Worthy of special mention are Devane of TV's "Knott's Landing" who puts in a superbly balanced performance as the Outfit's snide accountant and the never less than amusing Paymer as the lowest of the low. These two easily hold their own in a supporting cast of TV starlets and old-time movie heavyweights.

Cinematographer Emerson Core films Chicago with uses a bleached bypass process to give the film a washed out blue-grey tint highlighting the dark and brooding nature of the city's under-belly. An effect that quickly becomes tiresome, like the yellow filter on "Gattaca" but without the unfortunate side effect of reminding one of golden showers.

If you want to see a stylish neo-noir rent out "Point Blank" or Helgland's own "L.A. Confidential" if you want to see Gibson giving it some attitude rent out "Lethal Weapon" or one of it's numerous sequels, either way steer clear of "Payback".

MUTT'S RATING: Payback: **

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