Alternate readings in film, #1

So I was at the gym this afternoon and on one of its many boxes was TNT, which was showing James Cameron's crude, crass, and in several respects rather diverting 1995 True Lies, and it struck me that, up until the film's final minutes, it could be viewed as a rousing account of Art Malik's existential triumphs over his own receding hairline.

This is what it's like, in case you were wondering, to be a perpetually balding man.

Comments

Ah, the summer of '94. I remember the thing about True Lies was everyone talked about it being the most expensive movie ever made. Also, it had to be big a success if Arnold wanted to remain King of the Box Office. (Anyone remember the post-modern action-comedy Last Action Hero?)

What gave True Lies its juice was it was the Bond movie we'd been wanting for the last decade. the movie itself is pretty sexist and racist. I vividly remember scattered groans through the theater during the scene that matched up Arnold with Chuck Heston, a Republican's fantasy come true.

You could feel Cameron working out his frustrations from his divorce by the way he handled the women characters. But the chase through the hotel on horseback and the film's climax were truly awesome.

To be honest, I was more of a Speed fan. That movie was so old-fashioned in its nuts-and-bolts action and sharp characterizations that it felt new. And Keanu Reeves was a true movie star in the movie. It was also a good showcase for fine actors like Glenn Plummer, Joe Morton, and Jeff Daniels.

On the indie side you had Go Fish, Fear of a Black Hat, and Spanking the Monkey. The summer ended with the one-two punch of Natural Born Killers and Fresh.

And, finally, there was a man called Gump.

[Aaron Aradillas]

For some reason the previous post did not carrry my identification.

One more forgotten jewel from the summer of '94 was Mike Nichols thinking-man's take on the werewolf myth, Wolf. It contains one of Nicholson's best Jack performances.

[Dan]

"True Lies" is superb, for what it is. Sure, it's racist, and sexist, and really, really stupid. Really, though, the best movie in the Arnold canon for weird, badly-written psychological problems is "Commando". Man, is that movie rife with very, very disturbing questions.

[cadavra]

Waiddaminute. You were in a gym? ;-)

[Owain Wilson]

One of the great summers of my young life. My friends and I had such a good time watching that film in the cinema. We all fell about laughing with excitement when Arnie climbed into that Harrier jump jet. Magic times.

[rob]

I have never found myself able to totally disagree with people who find the movie bad, but am always won over by its honesty and self-awareness. It makes those dusty old virtues of misogyny and rule-by-fist rather, refreshing. In any case, Arnold's busting of the binocular lens deserves deserves placement in a comedy hall of fame.