Ronin . Tucson Weekly . 10-05-98

Ronin

DIRECTED BY: John Frankenheimer

REVIEWED: 10-05-98

John Frankenheimer, who directed bizarre and comically complicated thrillers like Seconds and The Manchurian Candidate in the 1960s (both worth renting, if only for the yuks), takes another stab at the genre with Ronin. Unfortunately, a lot of action film conventions have worn off on him, so in this one explosions often stand in for dialogue or ideas. Still, this is better than the run-of-the-mill guns and cars flick, and features the unmatched beauty of Southern France being shot at and blown up by Robert DeNiro. Also starring the good Natasha McElhone, the bad Jonathon Pryce, and the French Jean Reno. The "plot" revolves around the attempts of some hired goons to steal a briefcase. It must be a really nice briefcase because DeNiro and company kill about four hundred innocent bystanders while trying to get it. The mystery of what's in the briefcase is the maguffin that runs the show, a la Kiss Me Deadly (another campy classic that's a must-rent). However, in an effort to do a modern turn on the existential films of his heyday, Frankenheimer leaves a lot of question unanswered, like "What's with the briefcase?" "Who are these people?" "Why are they shooting at each other?"; and "What the hell is going on here?"

Full Length Reviews
Ronin

Capsule Reviews
Ronin
Ronin
Ronin

Other Films by John Frankenheimer
Seconds
The Island of Dr. Moreau

Film Vault Suggested Links
Fallen
The Edge
Mercury Rising

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