THE ULTIMATE BlOG TO
Hollywood TOWN!
|
|
By Sunil Dhokia With a slick, well-oiled collection of action scenes and some powerhouse performances from Tom Cruise and Robert Duvall, Tony Scott's racing action drama manages to get to the finish line despite a few hiccups along the way. Spoiler-Warning: I will be covering the key plot points in Days of Thunder so if you have not seen the movie, I would advise that you watch the movie first and then come back to my review to avoid any narrative details. What's the Movie About? Directed by Tony Scott, Days of Thunder (1990) is a sports action drama in which race car driver, Cole Trickle (Tom Cruise) is thrust into the world of NASCAR racing. He quickly develops a rivalry with a driver, Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker) until a crash during one of their races threatens to end both of their careers. When Rowdy Burns is in hospital after learning that he has to undergo brain surgery that rules him out of Daytona 500, he asks Cole to drive his car at the event. It's now up to Cole along with help of his driving mentor, Harry Hogge (Robert Duvall) as they go for a final push to try and win Daytona 500 for the first time. Positives Where Days of Thunder excels is in its acting and action set-pieces: Acting Believe it or not, there was a time when Tom Cruise appeared in movies that allowed his acting abilities to be front and centre of the camera. Days of Thunder strikes a balance between the action scenes we've come to expect from Tom Cruise and the dramatic side to his persona. The story uses a straightforward character arc for Cole Trickle: Cole thinks he's untouchable at the beginning of the movie, he's then humbled by a near-fatal car crash and then he finds the strength to race in the final NASCAR event. This character arc allows Tom Cruise to portray the cocky, brash and arrogant qualities that makes Cole anything but a sympathetic character when we first meet him. What's more interesting is the psychological effects that Cole experiences in the aftermath of his car crash. It's here that the empathetic and therefore engaging side of Tom Cruise's acting comes to fruition as he conveys the vulnerable and frightened qualities of Cole. In any case, Tom Cruise brings to the table his youthful charm and wit to the movie's advantage as we're always rooting for him to win his NASCAR events. Robert Duvall is dependable as ever in his role as Cole Trickle's mentor, Harry Hogge. Stoicism, a father-like figure and a great sense of humour are qualities that Robert Duvall infuses in the character of Harry. His chemistry with Tom Cruise is the emotional throughline that keeps the movie ticking along; even during the movie's second act that takes a break from the thrills and spills of the NASCAR world. In a movie that is mostly filled with one-note characters, Robert Duvall conveys Harry with a sense of gravitas to his character's journey. The scenes in which Harry is talking to his car or his conversations with Cole allow Robert Duvall to show the caring, loving side to his character and the passion that he has towards NASCAR. Action In a movie that focuses on the phenomenon of NASCAR, if the action doesn't deliver then the movie doesn't deliver - It's as simple as that. Under the assured hands of the late Tony Scott, the racing set-pieces capture the chaotic and frantic nature of being inside a NASCAR vehicle. The use of POV (point of view) shots particularly when seeing the action from Cole Trickle's perspective allows the audience to experience the sheer power and force of these vehicles as well as the inherent dangers that come when driving a vehicle at high speeds. The use of quick cuts during the action scenes between Cole Trickle and his rival drivers along with a shaky camera technique also allows us to experience the adrenaline and rush of driving a NASCAR vehicle. Its edge of your seat action as Tony Scott understands the importance of keeping the camera in a constant state of motion so that the action maintains a high intensity of excitement. Furthermore, Tony Scott decides to set each of the NASCAR events during the day. This choice coupled with the use of wide-shots at various points in the races ensures that we have a clear picture of where the drivers are positioned to one another. Negatives The characterisation of Doctor Claire Lewicki along with her relationship with Cole Trickle stop Days of Thunder from achieving first place at the finish line: Dr Claire Lewicki Nicole Kidman as Dr Claire Lewicki is, unfortunately, a character of its time as the thankless love interest to Cole Trickle. In typical Hollywood fashion, the movie has her character shift from her respectable profession as a Doctor to suddenly becoming the girlfriend of Cole Trickle, complete with Claire taking days off the job without any moral regard or regret. It's not that Nicole Kidman is doing a bad job in the role by any means. On the contrary, she's doing the best she can with the material she's been given. It's as if the producers felt that in keeping the masculine nature of the movie, we must see Nicole Kidman have sexual interactions with Tom Cruise for fear that male audiences wouldn't otherwise be interested in her character. Scenes such as when Claire is examining Cole in the aftermath of his car crash, in which she randomly kisses him on two separate occasions, are completely out of left-field with her character. Relationship between Cole Trickle and Dr Claire Lewicki Much like Michael Bay today in his macho-orientated movies, Tony Scott portrays the female characters in Days of Thunder as nothing more than objects to be gratified by their male counterparts. And in the case of the relationship that forms between Cole Trickle and Dr Claire Lewicki, this is no different. Except for a few scenes in which Claire uses her expertise to explain to Cole why he shouldn't go back into NASCAR after his accident, the backbone of her relationship with Cole is for her to be a sexual release for his character. The scene when Cole and Claire are making love in which she says to him show me what control is with how he feels when driving a NASCAR vehicle is about as cringy as a love scene is going to get. Watching these scenes in the context of today's movies shows how far Hollywood has come in its portrayal of women and how there's still a long way to go before we see female characters across the board being portrayed as equal to their male equivalents. Summary
Whether you're a NASCAR fanatic or not, there's plenty to admire about Days of Thunder, with Tom Cruise and Robert Duvall's commanding performances along with a bevy of adrenaline-fuelled action scenes combining in an event you won't want to miss. Verdict on the Movie 7.5 out of 10 Your Thoughts What are your thoughts on Days of Thunder? Do you think that the action scenes have aged well in the onslaught of action movies we have today? Comment below as I'd love to hear your thoughts. All images above and below and their copyright belong to Paramount Pictures and any other respective owners. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
About MeMy name is Sunil Dhokia, I'm a movie fanatic and love all things Hollywood. Blog Archives
June 2020
Follow Me
|