REINDEER GAMES (2000)

Directed By: John Frankenheimer 
Written By: Ehren Kruger 
Cinematography By: Alan Caso 
Editor: Antony Gibbs & Michael Kahn 
Music By: Alan Silvestri 


Cast: Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron, Gary Sinise, Clearance Williams III, Dennis Farina, Donal Logue, Danny Trejo, Issac Hayes, James Frain, Ashton Kutcher 


After assuming his dead cellmate's identity to get with the other man's girlfriend, an ex-con finds himself a reluctant participant in a casino heist.

This film could have easily be seen as a failure or a typical heist thriller starring an up and coming leading man in one of his first big studio blockbuster leading roles.

Though the film seemed to have high hopes firm the studio. Plus working with a legendary director of these types of thrillers there were high hopes for this film. Which does have an impressive cast and might have been something special more in the 1980’s or before.

As it comes off special. It not in a good way more in the time it was made. It seems like it was already trading on familiarity even then and for all of it’s twists and turns that are supposed to be surprising. The hard boiled world it tries to crest you seem to expect them as they are pretty routine. Even at the time.

This is a film that seems to take itself too seriously that it comes off almost lien a spoof of the thriller it seeks to be or is fashioned as. As many of the circumstances seem more comical and over the top then they need to be. I can’t tell if that is supposed to be disarming at times or because of the type of charisma they try to wrestle from Ben Affleck’s performances. As he seems strangely miscast in this film. He comes off lightweight which one guesses he is supposed to be. As a somewhat innocent character brought into an increasingly rough and dangerous situation he is barely equipped for. As the role seems made for someone with a bit more grit. He comes off more as a suburban pretty boy. Which again helps us to believe the naivety of the character but also hurts the film as it makes it less believable that these guys would believe him as an ex-con.

Charlie Theron is the only perfect element in the film as she comes across as the ultimate femme-fatale. Who you see coming a mile away but at least she is fun and having a great time. She has a hot, steamy, erotic sex scenes. That give the film another set of either rebelliousness or giving the audience what they want.

Gary Sinise here again perms his costume and wig do all the actions. As he just seems to go with the flow of them.

Clearance Williams III seems to be channeling his character from his previous collaboration with Director John Frankenheimer 52 PICK UP only louder this time. as his character comes off the most sadistic mentally and also chewing the most scenery

The action is noteworthy but it still feels co rained and limited. As the film is still incredibly violent which tries to help the film seem hard nosed and remind the audience of how dire and serious things are supposed to be.

The film ends up being very colorful and unfortunately the last of director John Frankenheimer who before this film had recently directed the surprise hit film RONIN.

One can easily find this film an oddity. As there is a decent film somewhere in here fighting to get out, but needs less stunt casting and wigs and attempts of intensity when sometimes it’s not needed. As it leads to the film coming off funny when it’s not supposed to be and then when it tries to be funny it’s not.

The film was cut by over twenty minutes before its original theatrical release date of December 1999 because of both a poor test screening and the MPAA's objections over the infamous dart torture scene. John Frankenheimer's preferred version was dark, gritty, and sexier. The film was released in Februrary 2000 in its shorter 104 minute version, which lost all of this, and the real essence of the story. Frankenheimer's original version was released a year later with the twenty minutes restored on DVD as his "Director's Cut". It doesn’t really help

After poor test screenings, John Frankenheimer admitted that he should've been a little more open to re-shoots to fix the problems of the film, as his original vision based on Erhen Kruger's script had become a completely different version once filming began.


Grade: D+