C Movie Review
Review by Robert Bell (C)
As cinema gradually evolves, it becomes increasingly clear that storytelling is becoming less of a priority. Glossy hyper-stylized images and hackneyed, insincere emotional catharsis are the wave of the future, as are indecipherable frenetic action sequences designed to overwhelm the senses with an almost orgasmic glee. Hollow excess and easily digested "wow" moments give a desensitized audience the homogenized escapist crap they so desperately seek; unwilling and unable to pause or reflect on anything with meaning. It's only logical, given the rapid take-no-prisoners, pop-a-pill-to-stifle-unwelcome-feelings culture we have become. Everything we do is designed to escape from reality: our entertainment, dream vacations and misguided career focus are all just filler, despite the requirements of emotional development, which need downtime and personal reflection in order to find a personal purpose and reason. Then again, isn't it that much easier to just quash away all of those feelings of confusion and inadequacy by accepting the ideologies and distorted moral codes of the majority? It is. And if we distract ourselves long enough while going through the motions of expectation, we may not even notice how utterly stupid and frivolous our surface driven lives are. Then again, happiness is defined by the individual, and maybe designer sneakers and a fancy new refrigerator is all one needs to feel satisfied in this world.
Speed Racer is the latest flash-in-a-pan innovation by the brothers Wachowski. Utterly impressive from a visual standpoint, almost begging to be seen on the big screen, Speed is a colourful, insanely stylized, aesthetic treat. This is the deep fried chocolate bar of cinema, featuring some intense and gorgeously shot action and races - that is, if the action can be made out, and if the endless exposition doesn't act as a tranquilizer. Clocking in at over two hours the film tests audience patience; shifting in tone too frequently and wasting time on an unnecessarily complex story that preaches the evils of powerful corporations who exploit heartfelt fun for financial gain.
Even as a child, Speed (Emile Hirsch) dreamed of being a racecar driver. It consumed him and every waking moment of his life. This is unsurprising, as he comes from racing stock, Mom (Susan Sarandon) and Pops (John Goodman) are embedded in the world, as is Speed's older brother Rex (Scott Porter). When a mysterious accident takes the life of Rex, the family is thrown into a funk.
Aided by his plucky, and uber-supportive girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci), Speed continues on with his racing fancies, garnering recognition in the minor leagues. This sparks the interest of Royalton (Roger Allam), who wants to sign Speed on to his corporate team of elite, high-tech racers. When Speed turns down the deal, he begins to learn of a corrupt sport that is controlled by financiers and business ambition. Fighting the instinct to let his passion be crushed by harsh realities, Speed teams up with Racer X (Matthew Fox) to try and take down the corporations.
Unsurprisingly, Speed delivers on the visual frenzy is advertises. The racing sequences feature jaw-dropping colour and style, staying true to the source Mach Go Go Go anime the film stems from. Cars jump through mid-air, drive up cliffs, crash into each other, spin around, drive upside down and speed along with visual gusto. Techniques used to deliver in-race conversation are particularly effective, maintaining visual urgency, while offering needed exposition. It's just a shame that the excess editing and constant chaos make it so difficult to make out at times.
Even sequences shot away from the action are visually impressive, impeccable costumes, makeup and set design, when matched with the stunning framing devices employed by the Wachowski's, make the film uniquely interesting throughout. But this is all the film has to offer.
The story is so unnecessarily convoluted and overdone that most audience members will find themselves checking their watch while waiting for the next race. If there were any depth or insight beyond "money and power is bad" this may have been justified, but instead Speed offers nearly 45 minutes of stylized exposition. Adding pretty colours to a lengthy discussion of corporate intricacy doesn't make it a great deal more exciting to watch.
In addition, there are a number of emotional oversimplifications. Pre-packaged heartfelt discussion are scattered throughout, giving context to the already generic relationships that Speed has with each person in his life. Perhaps some interest or emotional connection could have been salvaged from these sequences if Emile Hirsch didn't always seem so bored, confused and disconnected. He acts as a sounding board with absolutely no depth or uniqueness of character.
Also worth mentioning is the sheer level of annoyance the character of Spirtle (Paulie Litt), Speed's porky younger brother, adds to the film. Incongruous and often anarchic sequences of him creating mischief with his monkey are so grating and cutesy that it's tempting to throw miscellaneous items at the movie screen; be it cabbage, cell phones or a spare child.
Cutesy kid scenes add to the tonality issues of the film, as they are often juxtaposed with death, or sequences involving grisly gangsters torturing racers and threatening to feed them to piranhas. It's difficult to know how to feel when the film jumps from violent, to sad, to quirky, to comic, to angry every five minutes.
Many audience members will be able to overlook these flaws, as they are essentially in the theatre for the sole purpose of experiencing visual mayhem. And on that aspect, the film delivers.
