Well, thats not strictly true. While P had no idea who Herzog is, Nicholas Cage was not her favourite screen actor. I would even agree to that. As we sipped a beer and glass of wine in the QFT Foyer, the trailers running on the wall above us billed the film as a modern day thriller (+5) but a little over 2 hours running time (-5).
The film doesn't seem that long, bouncing along at a rare old pace. Nor did a rather gaunt Cage irritate with his mannerisms; in fact he was pretty impressive in the role. Lots of strong performances from the rest of the cast too. Val Kilmer was especially good, I thought. Much of the value of these performances undoubtedly comes from Herzog's story-telling technique where the narrative is revealed through the actions of the characters; rarely are we told explicitly motivations or rationale. Sometime events are dropped in without warning and we take a few moments to place them into context; frequently this just enhances the story-line, filling in back-stories and giving the whole film a depth and personality all its own. And of course, demanding that we participate in the story telling.
Occasional scenes do not come up to the mark, usually when the film is taking a breath and the pace slackens for a moment and Cage's believability cannot quite make the adjustment. Or the plot falters slightly and we accidentally get a sense of artifice.
Still, a pretty good yarn well worth seeing. Already won 3 awards in Dublin, Toronto and Venice: one for Cage and two for Herzog - gets the balance about right. One of Cage's better performances and yet more evidence of Herzog's skill - if we needed it.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
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