Review of The Bodyguard (1992) by David G — 28 Jun 2011

If you're anything like me you probably saw this film as a kid, hated it for being a hopelessly mushy chick flick and let it fade into a kind of anti-nostalgic memory - Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston getting it on (ew!), the melodrama, THAT soundtrack... When the film appeared on TV you'd be tempted to give it another go, to view it through more mature eyes, but then those memories would come flooding back and you'd chicken out. Well I finally bit the bullet and, well, after all these years I can say it's not a terrible film but it's still a pretty unlikable one. Costner is monotonous and boring, the character of Rachel Marron suffers from the stunt casting of Whitney Houston (she's not a bad actress but you feel like you're watching her and not her character) and the chemistry between them does not feel natural, in fact it feels kind of forced. I mean look at Costner's character - a tough and professional ex-secret service bodyguard who's main character trait is that he doesn't stay with his clients to avoid becoming attached to them. Yet it takes him all of about a week to jump into bed with Houston with little indication that he even likes her! Sorry, not buying it!

Some parts work such as the concert and final Academy Awards scenes which do a good job of building up the tension (despite the predictable villain reveal) but the romance - the centrepiece of the film - does not. It's heart is in the right place (ugh, that sounds like a Whitney Houston song) but The Bodyguard is overlong, dull and, I'll be honest with you, more than a little depressing. As for the infamous soundtrack - still as intrusive as ever but I guess it does complement the film pretty well.