U-Turn (1997). Cert 18. Director - Oliver Stone. Writer - John Ridley Starring - Sean Penn, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte & John Voight.
Premise - Sean Penn plays a small time hood that owes a big time debt. He is en route to Vegas to pay the men that took his finger as down payment, when he breaks down and has to spend the day in a small, backwater Arizona town. Well, this is a 'nasty' film, right up my alley. The basic storyline has been done a hundred times before, but U-Turn manages to steer away from most of the genre cliches and delivers a fresh and blackly funny story that keeps you guessing right up to the last frame. The cliches that do exist are mercilessly lampooned in a sideswipe at other movies of the genre.
Oliver Stone's tale of a man stuck in a small, redneck Arizona town is just my type of flick. It's full of murder, sex, double crosses and black comedy.
Stone has gathered a wonderful ensemble cast whom all put in sterling work. Sean Penn, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte, Jon Voight, Powers Booth, Billy Bob Thornton, Joquain Pheonix, Clare Danes, Laurie Metcalf, Julie Hagerty and a cheeky cameo from Liv Tyler, all are excellent.
Stone's direction and editing are (as usual) off the highest standard. He uses all the tricks in the book to constantly bombard the viewer with intense images. If you weren't used to Stone's frenetic style it may get in the way of the storytelling. I however thought it actually augmented the story, putting the viewer in Sean Penn's mind as he is constantly kicked in the face trying desperately to just get the hell out of town.
I was very impressed with U-Turn, I wasn't expecting much, but I got a lot! And that ending? The icing on the cake for me, excellent stuff.........
Highly recommended.
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7/10 for U-Turn. Poster Quote - Don't turn away, get it in! |