Review: Conspiracy Theory

Mel Gibson plays intense cabbie Jerry, a rather frenzied but seemingly harmless and well-meaning fellow who is also a giant conspiracy theorist. Jerry frequently comes to Justice Department lawyer Alice (Julia Roberts) with his latest crazy theory, which Alice is occasionally kind enough to humour him and listen. Jerry, by the way, kinda has a thing for Alice as well. Thing is, though, that one of Jerry’s theories might not be entirely crazy, because someone has him kidnapped and rigorously interrogated/tortured to see what he ‘knows’. Jerry has his own crackpot newsletter with about five subscribers, so he supposes that’s how ‘They’ found out. But which of his theories has he lucked out on? Jerry’s interrogator is a spook psychiatrist named Dr. Jonas (Patrick Stewart), and he seems to be very good at what he does (torture and intimidation). Jerry, however, manages to escape (biting Dr. Jonas’ nose in the process) and immediately goes to tell Alice what has happened. Because Jerry is now more manic and babbling than usual, she’s not sure what to make of his story and behaviour. And then she finds out that Jerry seems more than a little bit obsessed with her. Before long though, Alice has decided that enough of what he’s saying rings true that she agrees to help Jerry. Steve Kahan plays Alice’s boss, Dean Winters plays Dr. Jonas’ chief goon, and Cylk Cozart is a smooth government agent who is also interested in what’s going on.

 

The first time I saw this 1997 thriller from director Richard Donner (“The Omen”, “Superman”, “Ladyhawke”, “The Goonies”, “Lethal Weapon”- all films in my top 100 of all-time) and screenwriter Brian Helgeland (“L.A. Confidential”, “Payback”, “Mystic River”), I wasn’t overly impressed because it reminded me way too much of a little-known 1990 Michael Ironside film called “Mind Field” that I had seen less than a week prior, if I’m not mistaken. They had very similar conspiracies at the heart of their stories, and although this is the better film, I wasn’t able to get into it as much as I would’ve liked. Seeing it again in 2016 as my memories of “Mind Field” have pretty much faded (except, as I say, that it was the weaker film), I was able to appreciate this one more. I still don’t think it ultimately comes off, but there’s still some things to like here.

 

Firstly, it gives the very talented Mel Gibson a terrific role that plays to his manic strengths as an actor. He really commits himself to frenzied, unhinged roles like this and his character in the “Lethal Weapon” films. I’m not sure if he could play this role today, perhaps he’d take it too far to crazy town (Glenn Beck could totally play the role, however), but in 1997 he managed to find the humanity in this supposedly crazy guy, and gains our sympathy. And yet, because of that crazy element, one can’t be blamed for not always taking what he says without a grain of salt. Can this guy really be trusted? We think so, but there’s just that hint of an unhinged mind going on there, and Gibson is to be commended for being able to tap into both sides of the character. It’s a great character he plays here, one of his best if you ask me, and Gibson is easily the best thing about the film. If there’s a reason to see the film, it’s Mel and his character. He’s not only an undeniably great movie star, but a bloody good actor, too. The only other actor I could really see in the part is Michael Keaton, but Gibson just gives it that little bit extra craziness, perhaps. However, for all of the crazy on-screen characters he has played and the off-screen behaviour he has displayed, one should also remember this is the guy who directed and starred in the very sensitive “The Man Without a Face”. All I’ll say is he’s a complicated guy who clearly got this character on a cellular level.

 

Julia Roberts isn’t my favourite movie star to say the least, but as much as this isn’t her finest hour, it’s probably the last solid performance she has given to date. She has come across as grumpy and unpleasant in every performance ever since, in my view. But here, she’s perfectly fine and although she doesn’t always work well with her co-stars, she and Gibson are actually a good match on-screen. There’s a great bit where Gibson claims The Grateful Dead are British agents. Roberts politely informs him that Jerry Garcia is dead. I’d also inform him that Garcia and the rest of the Dead were American. There’s actually quite a bit of humour mined from Gibson’s conspiracy nut character, right from the opening credits where Gibson starts yakking away at a taxi passenger (director Donner in a cameo) and when he’s done talking, he realises the passenger is long gone and he’s been talking to himself. It’s the perfect introduction, really. Later there’s a cute bit where Gibson walks in on a screening of “Ladyhawke”. In 1997. Well played, Mr. Donner, and since that’s one of my favourite films I don’t mind at all, even though we all know it flopped on original release and would hardly be playing on a cinema screen in 1997. Or maybe that’s part of the conspiracy…shit, didn’t think about that. Probably the greatest source of humour, however, is the notion that Oliver Stone is a disinformation guy for George H. W. Bush. Given the softballs he lobbed at Bush Jr. in the terribly useless “W.”, it’s not actually that crazy a notion y’know.

 

In support, we get Patrick Stewart half-arsing an American accent, but otherwise doing a bang-up job as the creepy main villain who is surely based at least partly on Lord Laurence Olivier in “Marathon Man”. He’s especially good in his first scene where he is seen mostly in shadow. Acting is not this film’s problem, in fact it’s the film’s chief strength, including Donner’s cousin and frequent bit-player Steve Kahan in one of his largest roles as Julia Roberts’ boss. You’ll also spot familiar faces like Rick Hoffman, Tom McCarthy, Bill Henderson, veteran character actor Bert Remsen, and even Sean Patrick Thomas in small roles. The film has also been typically slickly directed by Donner (who has worked with Gibson several times, including the underrated lark “Maverick”), though if you don’t like your movies loud and chaotic, you’ll probably have a tough time with this one, even by Donner’s standards it’s very loud. It looks terrific, too.

 

The real problem is the script, which although full of crazy humour, is lacking in the surprise department. The plot is entirely predictable from about 50 minutes into what is roughly a two hour film. Once you work out where this thing is headed (and it’s surprisingly easy for a film that isn’t really about what it initially claims to be), you pretty much sit on your hands the rest of the way. So it’s really half a good movie, despite good performances all-round and fine direction. Script really is King, I’m afraid, and this one’s got better characters and dialogue than it has story/plot. Helgeland has written some fine scripts, but let us not forget he scripted one of Donner’s worst films “Assassins”, as well as the negligible “Man on Fire” remake, “A Knight’s Tale”, “The Postman”, the flat “Robin Hood”, and Clint Eastwood’s entirely transparent “Blood Work”.

 

This is the kind of film you want to like and recommend, but predictability just pulls it back enough so that you can’t. It’s well-acted, funny, and good-looking, but it’s hard to care after a certain point because you’ve got it all sorted out before the characters do. A real shame, this is a truly frustrating disappointment from a normally terrific director. Gibson is excellent, however.

 

Rating: C+