Paparazzi little more than shot in the dark

Thursday, September 09, 2004

I confess I laughed a lot while watching the new film Paparazzi. There are so many preposterous moments that I couldnt help but appreciate the comedy of the moment. The problem is, I dont think the filmmakers intended Paparazzi to be a comedy.

And there lies the problem with this action-adventure wannabe. The movie is so silly there is no way it can be taken seriously.

Paparazzi stars Cole Hauser as Bo Laramie, a budding film star whose career has taken off after his film Adrenaline Force has become a worldwide success.

Laramie wants to make his movies and spend quiet time with his family, but his plans go haywire when he becomes the center of attention from a rabid bunch of paparazzi.

The photographers continue to invade his privacy, crossing the boundaries to the point that they are responsible for a car wreck that leaves Laramies son in a coma.

This incident proves to be the last straw for Laramie, who goes on a one-man hunt for all the photographers involved including ring leader Rex Harper (Tom Sizemore).

There are so many flaws with this script that Im amazed that it got made. And Im floored by the fact that Mel Gibson was willing to take a producer credit for this pile of junk.

Paparazzi feels like the kind of film that Jean Claude Van Damme or Steven Seagal would have made during their brief moments of popularity, except drug dealers and crime lords are replaced by evil photographers.

I dont have a problem with the premise, but this film doesnt know when to quit. Its one thing to have the paparazzi try to invade private moments, but its quite another to have them so ridiculously obnoxious and conniving that they make drug dealers look sympathetic.

Sizemore is so over-the-top that it makes the clips of his performance as Pete Rose in the made-for-ESPN movie Hustle look restrained. His performance is nearly matched by Dennis Farina as the stereotypical detective who knows there is some funny business going on, but is just incompetent enough not to figure it out.

Director Paul Abascal got his start as Gibsons hairdresser, which could explain some of the Why are they in this mess? cameos. After watching Paparazzi its fairly obvious that Abascal may have been around a lot of films, but that doesnt make him a director.

Ill give credit for keeping the film relatively short and providing me with more laughs than Harold and Kumar and Anchorman combined. But even the comedy isnt enough to keep me (or anyone else) from realizing that this is a very bad movie.

Discount dud of the week

Speaking of bad movies, this weeks dud is Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (D+), a brain-dead comedy from the creator of Dude, Wheres My Car?

The premise is simple Harold and Kumar are a couple of 20-something stoners who decide on a whim during one of their drug-induced stupors to journey to White Castle.

Instead of just getting their burgers and allowing me to avoid the pain of having to give up 90 minutes of my life, the duo hit plenty of roadblocks on their way to burger bliss.

Some jokes have their moments. Ill admit Neil Patrick Harris from Doogie Howser has a hilarious cameo playing (big stretch) Neil Patrick Harris searching for drugs and hookers. There are also a couple of minor laughs involving a cheetah and a crazed auto mechanic.

But for the most part the jokes either arent funny, just plain gross (a flatulence contest between a couple of college coeds is still pretty disgusting just to think about) or borderline offensive (racist cops arent funny in any film).

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of Harold and Kumar is the blatant product placement of the popular restaurant White Castle. Its like watching a 90-minute infomercial, but if I were White Castle Im not sure this is the best way to advertise my product.

I guess I could give bonus points to Harold and Kumar for casting an Indian and an Asian in the lead roles, but honestly, Im not sure if this is a step forward for minorities or two steps back. To their credit, John Cho and Kal Penn do have a nice chemistry, even if they are stuck in a dead-end film.

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle opens Friday at the Plaza 6, where all movies are $1.50.

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