Review of Paparazzi (1964) by Shawn W — 09 Mar 2009

I hate tabloid press as much as the next person. But I will be honest to you about how I feel about movie stars. It is a dishonest profession. I don't believe in actors getting paid $20 million for a single film and living in multiple mansions when harder working folks get nothing. But then you have to consider what the character of Bo Laramie says in this film. Perhaps every time someone takes your picture you lose a bit of your soul. Maybe the constant hassling of the press is only worth $20 million. Celebrities do rub it in our faces a bit too much about how much money they have. We are the ones that see their movies and buy their CDs. It's because of us that they have what they have right? And when we want a little bit of them back, when we want a little insight into their lives that ultimately, we, have helped create for them, they often bite back with attitude.

There is a line that is not to be crossed though. The odd picture here and there is more than enough. But as there are so many, many tabloid magazines out there, all with the same kind of single-word single-syllable title, the business has become very diluted and all of them are willing to buy the most mundane photos of celebs doing uninteresting things. Not only this, but they take it to rather perverted extremes and it baffles me that anyone could be at all interested in it. I've seen long-shots of celebs hanging around like any person ought to but with massive close-ups of sweaty armpits, circled for the benefit of anyone not enlightened to the point of the picture. Morbid close-ups of some celebrity's blouse revealing some milkshake she spilled a few hours earlier is just plain creepy. Sadly, there are thousands of parasites out there who are willing to fork over their hard-earned cash for such rags. I'll never understand the fascination.

Celebs are made out to be Gods of some kind. Something we all want to be but never can. Their teeth are perfect, their wives/husbands beautiful, their children beautiful, their homes are palaces and their lifestyles enviable. Most of us live our whole lives in jealousy of celebs. This is why we just want a little bit more back from them. They can afford it right? With all that money and 'power' a few pics here and there won't hurt will they? Well, I can't imagine myself liking it very much. And, considering the crap I've seen some celebs take, I personally don't think any of it's worth $20 million. Punching a Paparazzo in the face with my fist going through his camera first sounds like the best image of all in my opinion. Since a union of celebs is actually quite powerful, I do believe their wills be much, much tighter laws in the near future to curb Paparazzi. There's always some story of some actor taking a weaselly photographer to court.

Or you could do it the way Bo Laramie does.

Laramie (Cole Hauser) is a former Montana carpenter who has, by pure chance, become a star in Hollywood through various xXx-style action movies. The public loves him and wants more than he is willing to offer. His private life is constantly being invaded by those peeking in. But they are taking pictures too. Rex Harper (the very cool, but sadly self-destructive, Tom Sizemore) is one of those pesky photographers. And Laramie doesn't take too kindly to Harper taking pics of his son playing football. He responds by punching out Harper, only a group of his Paparazzi pals (including Danny-the best Baldwin, the psycho killer from Heat, and some highly annoying English guy you can't wait to see hanging from a tree) catch the whole thing on film and whore out their footage to the highest bidder.

Now with a personal vendetta between them a childish game is promptly brought to an end (or only just beginning) when they involve Laramie and his family in a Princess Diana-style car wreck. And instead of calling an ambulance, they take pictures of their bloody bodies. Sadly, it's not sounding far-fetched yet.

Having not learned from other's mistake Laramie is still hassled by the photographers and press and they continue to fabricate stories and bend (read utterly distort) the truth to line their own pockets. Little do they know Laramie is planning a Punisher-style revenge on the four dolts responsible for this tragedy.

It's entertaining watching him set them up and take them down. But the film makes absolutely no attempt at subtlety. Of course it's a B-movie and doesn't really have to but it could have been a more articulate and damning insight into a really seedy profession if it spend more time developing plot and characters. Among the many cameos, great character actors such as Dennis Farina are given not much to do other than help along the obvious plot. Celebs could have done well with a movie that speaks out against intrusive press photographers but this film is just too frank and un-complex to make a real statement. In the hands of Oliver Stone it could have been something, but unfortunately the film is directed my Mel Gibson's former hairstylist (from his lion's mane/mullet Lethal Weapon era no doubt) who has no skill above the average episode of CSI.

I do wish these tabloids would go away. I can't imagine the mentality of people who read and, astonishingly, believe what is written in these rags. There's really no excuse or justifying them and the amount that is out there. The average joe, the indiscriminate lowest common denominator doesn't like to think. I know we'll ever get these people reading Charles Dickens on their lunch breaks. And as long as there are people buying these horrible publications they will keep on making them.

This film may not speak very well against the tabloid press, but it does speak very loudly.