Snake Eyes, 1998

A study in how to almost make a classic. The first act is absolutely revolutionary. From the opening 17-minute shot (although I think I detected one wipe cut half way through) to the incredibly unique way De Palma uses television monitors to show exposition, the first third of the film is nearly flawless. On the surface it is a modernized crime noir, but it is actually a meditation on perspective, point-of-view, the nature of time and the questionable solidity of shared experience. De Palma uses quite a few daring techniques to express the themes. In one of the most interesting shots, the camera starts off as a First Person POV shot, speaking to another character, who is directly addressing the camera. As the shot moves around the room, it eventually rests on a mirror, in which we can see both characters. The camera then pulls back into a Third Person master shot, all without a cut. Later, a split screen sequence in which we view two characters talking in a crowded arena from multiple perspectives is more amazing than the premise sounds. This would be fun but pointless, if the film wasn't examining perspective to begin with. Form meeting function in such an exciting fashion is rare in a Hollywood film. However, after the first act, the technique begins to get old as we realize that's all we have here: technique. The script is rote and dare I say a little stale. The twists are predictable enough that they aren't twists...so I say don't try to make them twists! (On a side note, why do 75% of movies try to fool us nowadays? Someone do a study on that for me.) By the time the denouement comes, the marvelously unique film style is gone and we're left with a puzzling action hero ending that is a complete deflation from the promise of the first act. If the script had been tenser, tighter and more original, and De Palma continued his revolutionary style, this film would already be a classic, I am sure of that, and Cage would be considered one of our Greats.

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