Get
Shorty (1995)
John Travolta's follow-up to his overwhelming success
in "Pulp Fiction" is a humorous story that film buff's
will love set to the hipster snap of a beat jazz soundtrack.
It's an Elmore Leonard story of seedy gangsters and
low-rent loan sharks set in the equally seedy world
of low-budget Hollywood. It's black sunglasses and cold
blue steel. And it works, for the most part.
Travolta is fantastic. We can't imagine anyone else
playing Chili Palmer, the muscleman for a small time
Miami hood. We understand the character completely when
he opens the film by talking about renovating an old
movie house to show old Cagney films and then proceeds
to break another greaseball's nose before the opening
credits roll. Travolta has this shit down cold. He is
Chili. Who else could have done the role? It's as if
the script was put together after someone saw him as
Vincent Vega in "Pulp Fiction." Imagine Quintin Tarantino's
mind in Robert DeNiro's body and you have some idea
of what Travolta pulls off here. He sometimes falls
into a sort-of grown-up Vinnie Barbarino persona but
it only distracts us for a mere moment. When all is
said and done, Travolta owns this film.
He's aided, of course, by a huge cast of characters
that help round out the cast. Gene Hackman has his best
role in years playing a sort-of low-rent Roger Corman
type named Harry Zimm. But unlike Corman, Zimm never
grew up. He's still only a low-budget schlock master
trying to hustle for the next film. Hackman, aided by
the great script from Scott Frank, makes his character
clear from his first appearance in the film as well.
He plays off Travolta perfectly and gets so tangled
up in the web he weaves, he ends up in traction. Even
constricted by a neck brace and bandages, Hackman is
unstoppable. Rene Russo ("In the Line of Fire") looks
good here too, even though she's still just playing
the female love interest. To her credit, she never plays
it cheap or for laughs where someone else may have.
She's the Beverly Garland persona in the film. Russo
has class behind here B-Movie stature. Russo, for what
it's worth, looks good with all the men in the film.
She never relegates herself to the sidekick role at
any time. Danny DeVito (who also produced here) has
a great, albeit small, role too. Allowed to mug and
open-up a bit, DeVito makes watching his conceited character
highly enjoyable without ever ruining it for us by appearing
smug or silly. DeVito's Martin Wier is every schmuck
who ever hit it big and finally had the stardom to match
his big ego. Still, DeVito makes his haughtiness work
for him. We like him because we can see right through
him.
The second bananas here are all fun to watch too.
A famous actress in an uncredited small part has her
best role in years too. It's a casting coup that could
have easily been stretched out into a starring role
in another film altogether. Sure, this actress plays
a character she has no trouble with and she chews up
all the scenery that gets in her way, but it's been
so long since we've seen her do this that it's incredible
fun. I just can't ruin it by telling you who it is.
It's that good! David Paymer ("Mr. Saturday Night")
turns a cameo into a memorable moment as well. But it
is the recognizable yet hardly known Delroy Lindo and
Dennis Farina that have the most fun here. In what should
be considered co-starring roles, (they both have more
screen time than DeVito), the two help sink the film
to the seamy level that it requires. These actors, who
usually have to play heavies, drug lords or hit men,
relish the chance to play characters with depth and
humor. It's incredibly fun to watch everybody in this
film. Part of the charm is that it's obvious they're
all having the times of their lives.
This film works because it has such fun with Hollywood
and filmmaking. It takes a small time hood and makes
him the only honest man in Hollywood. It lampoons the
industry in this way and it's devilish fun. Witness
Travolta in action, befuddled by how the system works.
When Hackman's producer blows smoke up somebody's ass,
Travolta doesn't get it. He knows what he wants, he
says what he means and he achieves what he sets out
to do - no if's and's or but's.
Barry Sonnenfeld helms the project and he has his
most successful outing yet. After filming two "Addams
Family" movies that had style but no substance, Sonnenfeld
has a chance to really stretch out here and show us
his whole arsenal of cinematic charms. The former cinematographer
keeps the tone of the film cool and slick until the
very last frame. He seems to simply just film the proceedings
and yet the film's film noir homages blur through the
shiny black jazz tracks we get here. The style is the
film here. As the ads for the film says, "Attitude plays
a part." Sonnenfeld is truly cinematic, as a director,
for the first time ever. Here, he films a piece and
actually uses the style as a device and not just an
obvious ploy. The visuals, the set-up shots, the music,
the pacing and the editing always enhance the film's
plot. For the first time, Sonnenfeld has a message to
bring us.
If there is any problem with the film, it's in it's
quick and happy ending that blows any chance for irony
right out the window. Everything is wrapped up way too
neatly. And it's done so rapidly, we don't have time
to double check the storyline and make sure that all
the loose ends were indeed tied up. Everyone standing
in Travolta's way is neatly taken care of. And it happens
in about 5 minutes worth of screen time; It's a bit
to fast. Another problem is that most of this comes
of as a sort-of homage/rip-off of Altman's "The Player."
It's a bit too slick, even for this film. If it wasn't
in the same amused spirit of all that had come before
it, it would surely toll the funeral bell for the film.
As it stands, the film is so charming we can forgive
it almost anything.
The thing that works best in the film is the music.
We think that all of this cool hipster jazz is the work
of the credited soundtrack composer John Lurie (of Jim
Jarmusch film fame), until the closing credits show
us how many of the tunes included here are old Booker
T and the MG's' songs. Still, Lurie's work blends seamlessly
with these tunes and forms a backdrop for the film that
totally sets the mood for the images that they accompany.
It's the perfect blend of audio and visual.
Finally, mention must be made of the inclusion of
a rather long clip of Orson Welles' 1958 masterpiece
"Touch of Evil." What this has to do with the plot is
really beyond me. It does show Travolta's Chili to be
a real film buff but other moments in the film do this
successfully too. There's really no reason to augment
them with this lengthy aside. The two films really have
very little in common. Even more confusing is the use
of a Henry Mancini tune from Welles' film's soundtrack.
Sonnenfeld uses this piece to accentuate any scene in
which Russo and Travolta get romantic. It doesn't mean
anything as far as I can tell even if it does sound
nice.
"Get Shorty" is still a fun film, even with it's asides
and it's happy, snappy ending. It's just the perfect
combination of a likeable cast and an able crew bringing
a fun story to life - highlighted by cool music and
smokey visuals. Those not enamoured with the filmmaking
process, even when gunplay and loan sharks are involved,
should probably pass. Film buffs and cinemaphiles, however,
will definitely "Get Shorty."
Note: With surprise cameos by Harvey Keitel and Penny
Marshall. Sonnenfeld plays a "Doorman" in a cameo.
Director of Photography is Don Peterman.
DeVito's assistant is listed as Joshua Levinson. Could
this be a relative of Barry?
Review written in 1995
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Report
Card
Script:
A
Acting: A+
Cinematography\Lighting: A+
Special Effects\Make
Up: A
Music:
A+
Final
Grade: A
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