Snake Eyes (De Palma, 1998): Prince Charles Cinema, 6pm
This film is part of the Nicolas Cage season at the Prince Charles. Full details here.
Time Out review:
Brian De Palma's coldly executed techno-thriller opens with a signature
sequence: a continuous Steadicam shot starts outside an Atlantic City
sports arena, then snakes its way along corridors, up stairs and down an
escalator, to reveal the packed crowd awaiting the start of a
heavyweight boxing match. We're following flamboyant Rick Santoro
(Nicolas Cage), a corrupt cop who revels in the fact that he sees every angle.
Inside, his old pal, Navy commander Kevin Dunne (Gary Sinise), is keeping an
eye on Secretary of Defence Kirkland, who has a ringside seat courtesy
of arena owner and munitions tycoon Gilbert Powell (John Heard). Minutes
later, the odds-on favourite hits the canvas, a shot rings out, and
Kirkland is fatally wounded. Santoro immediately seals the crowd inside
the arena and, using TV and surveillance camera playback, scans the
screens for clues as to the killer's identity. As Santoro interviews key
witnesses, the film turns into Rashomon with action replays, as
we see flashbacks from multiple points of view. The film echoes the
technical wizardry and complex plotting of De Palma's best film, Blow Out.
Edgy suspense and powerful kinetic energy are generated by the
intriguing revelations and razor-sharp editing, while the truth behind
its convoluted conspiracy has a surprisingly serious political and
emotional undertow.
Nigel Floyd
Here (and above) is the trailer.
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