THE FAN (1996)

Directed By: Tony Scott 
Written By: Pheoff Sutton 
Based On The Book By: Peter Abrahms 
Cinematography By: Dariusz Wolski 
Editor: Claire Simpson & Christian Wagner 

Cast: Robert DeNiro, Wesley Snipes, John Leguizamo, Benecio Del Toro, Ellen Barkin, Patti D’Arbanville-Quinn, Brandon Hammond, Chris Mulkey, Dan Butler, Kurt Fuller, Michael Jace, M.C. Gainey, Richard Riehle, John Carroll Lynch 

Three-times MVP baseball player Bobby Rayburn joins the San Francisco Giants, and obsessive fan, whose profession is selling hunting knives, Gil Renard is excited over that. But Rayburn plays the worst season of his career and Renard tries to do everything to help him, but goes too far.

There have been a few films with this title that have revolves around the same subject of stalking. Usually it is more a obsession and Misappropriation of romantic love. As the two are usually coeds. Here we are dealing with a man stalking another male. More as he feels ownership of him in a way. Living vicariously and feeling he is owed something as he has followed his career and life while his own has been downtrodden and once he does an act that he feels will help out the object if his affection.

He feels he is owed a certain debt and when he schemes and manages to get close and confronts him. The object so to speak rejects him and refuses to acknowledge the debt and is frankly scared off. The stalker feeling rebuffed reacts and shows his true malice until he is satisfied that the best is payment becoming a love/hate thing.

Now Robert DeNiro has played this type of role before. So it feels familiar but his menace here is more a sad sack with an Happy attitude in public. When in KING OF COMEDY it felt more like a psychological menace and character study. Here he seems to be sociopathic, yet feels more like a villain who the film tries to make a little sympathetic or let you understand him more. His portrayal in the previous movie was as iconic and the film and script was better than what he has to work with here. He was supposedly picked after Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson turned it down

Being that the stalking is happening between two men. The film tries to avoid the homoerotic elements and goes out of it’s way to be more hard hitting, direct and macho. A little More thriller and action sequences a little less psychological.

While the film stays a visual commotion and keeps itself busy. Which is typical of Tony Scott’s direction. What becomes apparent is that all involved deserve better than what they are working with. This film should be a lot better and harder hitting. As the cast and filmmakers seem to try to make it better than what they are handed. The film still feels disappointing and disappointed almost in itself. Like it knows what quality it has to offer and tries to either get better or get to the point quicker to speed it along. As it will offer no surprises. Tony Scott actually turned down the movie THE ROCK to direct this, Which also feels smaller and more intimate then that film.

The film feels familiar as if you have ever seen this type of film before. You will be able to figure it out. Only here there is more aggressive machismo working actively. The sports element only drives it stonger and harder.

There is still an intimacy between the characters, but not so much romantic though there is an admiration between the two that borders on sad. As that element involved more a sports fan that feels an ownership of sorts to a player. Keep in mind this is before social media made it just so easy to communicate and track a celebrity to a degree.

Though the film allows the same dimension of living through a celebrity who you believe in and feel important to their success. So that any victories is more a shared one. --The film works as a character study of sorts. As the early scenes show the character coming to a breaking point and the many sides to his character until the second half where he loses it and Becomes more of a one note psycho.

Though supposed to feel testosterone filled that goes into more of an action oriented story. This should be more tension filled with thrills. Here it is such a small minutes story that it’s style feels broad and like overkill. Even though DeNiro gives it his all in his performance that makes his character real and a bit sympathetic though feels like a slight retread of his character in THE KING OF COMEDY

I usually love Tony Scott as a director but he begins too much to dress up the film. Which he already knows is a bit thin so he tries to make the film seem more busy. Thought with the material or might call for a more slight and demure approach. His style doesn’t do the film any favors to make it feel different or special instead it becomes predictable.

As always the object of affection Played by Wesley Snipes doesn’t realize how good they have it and are whiny until a certain point until they get what they want and then it becomes more about survival. Only here more about the safety of his child. A true innocent rather hen just himself.

The film leaves Wesley snipes with very little to do or play even though top billed. Not so much a strong or vivid performance it when playing more a victim the might not be so much room for any of that. Where he can’t help but be overshadowed by Robert DeNiro and his performance. This might be why at first he was more interested in playing Robert DeNiro’s role. This role in fact was turned down by Brad Pitt. 

Grade: C