Snake Eyes (1998)

Nice effects though.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Blistering performances.

Again. Another movie in the 90's; when we all rented vids or went to the movies; that was a total let down. I remember this movie specifically. It looks like it was shot in one casino. I love Nicolas Cage because no one else is quite like him. I think we all love the iconic method actors. All Nicolas cage years (0 is a number!) of studying at the prestigious "My Uncle is Francis Ford Coppola" school of acting paid off as he both chewed scenery and over forced the portrayal of his character like he was desperately trying to suck a sausage through a straw. He has definitely had better performances.Once again a 90's movie where you are sitting in the theater wondering when they will get to a part that justifies the budget and finally realizing that you have been ripped off as the ending credits roll.Fortunately most movie makers realized, like the US Automobile industry in the '70s, if you make a shoddy product then the masses will go elsewhere. Now we have digital media and the passion has come back into TV and movies.

I have watched Brian De Palma films here and there for years, but it wasn't until recently where I really immersed myself in his filmography. Body Double is the one to beat, a phenomenal erotic thriller that stays in your head weeks after. Dressed to Kill and Passion are also top notch works that have such memorable sequences. Snake Eyes is not as erotic as the aforementioned films (although Carla Gugino is wildly ravishing in the film), however its a fun thrill ride. De Palma delves into a conspiracy involving a murder at a boxing event. Nicolas Cage is the detective at the event who is tasked with solving the crime. There are twists and turns in the film that keep the film going. The reveal occurs early but it wasn't a problem as there was much to enjoy. The cinematography is top notch; De Palma is excellent at this. There are first person view points, flashbacks, overhead shots going from room to room. Its all done with craft. The film isn't a magnificent marvel of cinema, however De Palma knows how to keep the film flowing. Cage as an overacting detective brings life to the film. Lets face it, we love when Nicolas Cage is like that. There are parts of the plot that could have been changed for a bit more coherency but its not much to complain about. Stay tuned all the way through to the end of the credits.Overall, De Palma is a great filmmaker. What I really appreciate about him is his ability to branch out and try different types and styles of film. He's had some misses throughout the years but its safe to say Snake Eyes really isn't one of them.7/10

Snake Eyes is a pretty decent Brian de Palma flick. Though I don't think it would make it into his top 10 movies of all time.There is everything a De Palma fan would want in this movie - the typical split screens, long tracking shots and overhead shots especially during the exaggerated assassination scene. The narrative structure is borrowed from Rashomon. But somehow it didn't look as gorgeous as some of his other films. There are two beautiful women in Carla Cugino and the red headed lady. Nicholas Cage was at his over the top best and Gary Sinise looked sufficiently hawkish as the crazed spooky army guy. The film is quite commercial for De Palma's standards. But there were issues with the script. The one liners were missing. The supporting cast had some capable actors but their characters weren't very well developed. But an entertaining film nonetheless.(7/10)

Ricky Santoro (Nicolas Cage) is a wild corrupt Atlantic City cop. It's the night of a big fight and a hurricane is coming. His best friend Kevin Dunne (Gary Sinise) is escorting Defense Secretary Charles Kirkland and arena owner Gilbert Powell (John Heard). Redhead Serena leaves the seat beside Santoro and the mysterious Julia Costello (Carla Gugino) with a blonde wig sits down. She starts arguing with Kirkland. Dunne follows Serena breaking protocol. A sniper kills Kirkland and injures Costello. Chaos ensues. Santoro grabs the investigation trying to find Costello. Dunne had killed the assassin. Santoro finds that the champ Lincoln Tyler had taken a dive as part of a conspiracy.Nicolas Cage's wild acting is really distracting from a possibly interesting mystery thriller. At least, he gets out of that crazy jacket but his crazy acting never stops. Director Brian De Palma sets up a good looking conspiracy but then reveals it almost right away. The audience is not given much to work out after that. De Palma is doing some interesting camera work but the tension is not there. The conspiracy is not engaging and the ending falls flat.