THE TOUCH |
| CREDITS: Director: Paul Schrader. Cast: Bridget Fonda, Christopher Walken, Skeet
Ulrich, Tom Arnold, Jeannie Garoffalo, Gina Gershon & Anthony Zerbe. USA 1997. INTRODUCTION: Once more unto the breech dear friends, once more, as yet another Hollywood Director attempts to guide an Elmore Leonard novel through that tricky transition into celluloid immortality. SYNOPSIS: The touching tale of a young stigmatised faith healer, the woman who loved him and an assorted bunch of ne'er-do-wells out to exploit him. A change of pace for Leonard takes us on a stroll through the world of US televangelism and hard-line Catholic fundamentalists as everyone fights for control of this second coming. REVIEW: Schrader has, it would appear, not learned from his numerous predecessors including John Frankenheimer ("52 Pick-Up" 1986), Richard Fleischer ("Mr Majestik" 1974), John Sturges ("Joe Kid" 1972), Abel Ferrara ("Cat Chaser" 1988), J. Lee Thompson ("The Ambassador" 1984) QT ("Jackie Brown" 1997), Burt Reynold ("Stick" 1985) & the man who came closest Barry Sonnefield ("Get Shorty" 1995) all of whom tried and failed to adapt Leonard for the silver screen. Indeed he makes many of the common mistakes, relocating the story, failing to play to the medium's strengths and retaining too much of the dialogue leaving us with a talky slow moving film. Schrader of course scripted "Raging Bull" and is much more comfortable with that kind of gritty violence than the almost whimsical comedy that this film requires of him, indeed he misses the target every single time. Ulrich & Fonda are charming enough in the lead roles but as always our heroes are outdone by marvellously camp performances from the sleazy Walken and the downright scary Arnold, in one of the finest performances of his somewhat lacklustre career and with supporting turns from the almost forgotten Zerbe, the strangely compelling Garoffalo and the Gershon, another "Showgirls" refugee reduced to supporting roles in hip movies, you have an enviable ensemble. The old theory had of course been that if Christ returned today he would be institutionalised, as there can be little doubt that the elaborate rituals (reminiscent of the behaviours induced by obsessive compulsive disorder) and hearing of voices (reminiscent of schizotypal personalities, a lesser form of schizophrenia) indicate that many of the prophets of the past may just have been verging on the loony, but here he is immediately welcomed into the shadowy world of tabloid papers and day time TV. Nietzche was, it appears, wrong when he proclaimed that god is dead, as he is alive and well and appearing on Jerry Springer, although his clarification that "we have killed him" may yet come to pass. One of the best movie adaptations of an Elmore Leonard novel starring Bridget Fonda of the year. Mutt's Rating: *** |