Review of Get Shorty (1995) by Jesse O — 21 Jan 2015

This is a pretty good movie that time has simply not been kind to. I don't know, but it never seemed to work as well for me as it, seemingly, did for others who review films professionally. While it does have a good cast, with some of John Travolta's best work ever, and a script that subverts tropes and satirizes what it takes to make it in this business, I can't help but feel that its head is way up its own ass.

It's a film that in is in awe of its own cleverness. It's so goddamn self-aware sometimes, with constant classic movie references thrown in for no reason other than to show off, that it's very difficult for this film to stand out on its own.

And I do think it manages to have its own style, it does so in spite of itself to be perfectly honest. I understand the need for movie references, it sort of makes Hollywood into something real for these characters.

They don't exist in a universe where these classics don't exist. So I understand the reasoning behind it. It's just that these are thrown at you constantly, to the point where you're sickened by it and you hope they'd just move on to whatever the movie is supposed to be about, which is this movie that Chili Palmer is trying to make and how it gets complicated when third parties try to force their way into it.

Honestly, outside of some few moments of subversiveness here and there, the film isn't really even that funny. Comedy is entirely subjective, of course, but I don't think that the genre, in 20 years, has changed THAT much.

It's not like this material is only relevant to someone in the 90s, I was 7 when this film came out. So what else am I supposed to think, if it's not that this is outdated? It really didn't strike me as that funny of a movie.

And I realize it wasn't supposed to be all comedy, but still. I will say this, as mentioned earlier, this features some of Travolta's best work. This was post-Pulp Fiction, so he was probably feeling inspired about his career comeback, but the guy was on.

He was calm, cool, and collected. He was smooth in his dealings with people, even those he didn't particularly like. There's just something about his body language that brought a lot to the table.

The rest of the cast is solid with Danny DeVito being the comedic highlight as this pretentious method actor. That's not to say his part is laugh out loud funny, but it's pretty good nonetheless.

..as good as this film would get. Oh and Dennis Farina is also pretty good here as well. Honestly, the last thing I can complain about is the cast. The writing is good but, again, way too self-aware and referential to truly be great.

The movie's still good, of course, but it's not anything that I would feel the need to recommend. It's a good little diversion and it's got some good satire, but it's nothing that warrants repeat viewings here.

This is a one and done for better or worse.