Anecdote vs Allegory. Fuck em, they both suck and deserve to lose. At least that what my beer told me. Beer can’t type, so I’m translating. This movie doesn’t suck, though. It’s a slow methodical descent. A little stereotypical in the meanderings but it just kinda helps tell the story quicker. Is what it is. I don’t want to sit through a 4 hour movie diving into the socio-political problems of a substory when shorthand does the job. This does the job. And then is fired for it for being obsolete.
Just a normal guy on his way to work. Traffic. Construction. Heat. Assholes. And one motherfuckin fly that just won’t QUIT! So he says Fuck It. He’s going home. Abandons his car and, just, starts walking. He encounters a lot of different people and environments along the way. It makes him...not happier...as he goes along. Things escalate. A cop working his last day gets intertwined, following the trail of...incidents? Let’s call them incidents. Spoiler not spoiler, they meet at the end, have some popcorn, ride the Merry-Go-Round. Or not.
Interesting themes in this one. I nicknamed the main character Dilbert in my notes, because that’s kinda what Michael Douglas plays here (and played very well, too). Well, at least at first, as far as the Dilbert thing is concerned. The progression of weapons, from bat to knife to, well, more beyond that, as he traverses the city to his final destination is sad but not _completely unbelievable. Sure it’s out there, but it’s not easy being a gangsta. Or a dude in a buttoned-down white shirt and tie. That’s just, like, obsolete. Just like that Dilbert guy. Just like...well, seems like a lot more people round here nowadays, don’t it? Not economicably viable. Interesting how that’s changed a bit since this came out 30+ years ago. Well, maybe not changed. Just, kinda shifted. Downward, one could say. Well done flick across the board, looks great with some cool shots, nice exceptional audio work here especially in the opening scene, and character work that ain’t exactly the best but doesn’t suck either.
