Friday, January 11, 2008

Wow....

When listing Buddy Cop and action film stars one can often think of famous actors like Mel Gibson, Eddie Murphy and Danny Glover. Geena Davis doesn’t exactly come to mind. However, in The Long Kiss Goodnight, Geena Davis takes the role of the action hero and actually has a very prominent and known bad ass actor Samuel L. Jackson as a sidekick. Jackson plays a private investigator/con artist named Mitch, who seems actually earnest in helping Davis' character Samantha and later Charlie. Usually Jackson plays very intense bad ass, smart talking action rolls, in this movie he still does. This time, though, he is really more of a wannabe who tries to be badass. This movie is interesting because the main characters are not police officers. Mitch is a con artist and Charlie is a trained assassin who had just regained her memories. It is an unlikely combination, but that is what the essence of what Buddy cops movies are about. Mitch is a very interesting character, in a sense he feels sort of emasculated because of Charlie’s strength and knowledge as an assassin. He tries to overcompensate and tries to come to Charlie’s rescue sometimes causing more trouble for her. In the end he comes storming through in a car to rescue Charlie and her daughter from an exploding bridge. He does end up being quite heroic; even though it takes him quite a few tried to get it right. Mitch and Charlie seem to have a very good relationship. Even from the beginning Mitch seems to have a soft spot for Samantha, he is taken aback by Charlie and how dramatic her change in personality is, but Charlie’s intensity challenges Mitch to bring out his own intensity as well. The film puts race aside for a more gender aspect to the buddy style of film. The movie, as outrageous as it was, was filled with funny one liners and goofy dialogue.

3 Comments:

Blogger Alexandria Vazquez said...

This film is filled with more than just a few funny one liners...lol I completely agree, that it is the character’s relationship to each other that brings the best out in each. I did not think of Mitch’s character as heroic in any way shape or form, just a goofy side kick that’s out to prove himself alongside an extremely strong woman. His masculinity is questioned here because of his comparison to the stronger, yet feminine partner. I do think that in the end he regains a majority of the pride he lost while being with the kick ass Charlie.

2:12 AM  
Blogger Christina said...

I agree - as I was reading this blog I was wondering...is Mitch a total sidekick? I mean, he doesn't really have a lot of spotlight once Charlie really comes out. I agree that his masculinity is questioned. I mean, how could it not when he has to stand next to a woman like Charlie the whole time?

7:11 AM  
Blogger Vladigogo said...

Interesting, so Mitch's masculinity is challenged by Charlie?

What does that say?

A white woman taking away a black man's sense of self?

8:53 AM  

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