FALLEN
The script for this psychological thriller, however, written by Nicholas
Kazan and directed by Gregory Hoblit, is really made to keep you on the
edge of your seat, and it is the antagonist dogging Hobbes that takes the
lead role and has the lion's share of characterization. And the most brilliant
thing is that this antagonist is never actually seen as itself. It is played
by scores of actors of both sexes, all with fewer than 20 lines, who pass
the character around among themselves like a hot potato. What an incredible
device.
Hobbes is a cop who is not only fiercely proud of his profession, but
of the fact that he has never taken even the slightest advantage of his
situation for personal gain. As I said, a typical Denzel character. But
when he sends a maniacal serial killer (briefly but excellently characterized
by Elias Koteas) to the gas chamber, the man utters some unintelligible
ancient language just before he dies, and Hobbes's life changes at that
moment. The evil spirit, or fallen angel, who had been possessing the body
of the criminal, moves on to its next host, a prison guard. And a few minutes
later, when the guard touches another person, it travels into his body.
In an eerie game of tag, we see it travel from stranger to stranger throughout
the city, transferring itself every time physical contact is made. So we
know it's still alive. And it has a grudge against John Hobbes.
What follows is a thrill ride that doesn't let up for most of the movie.
Disaster courses recklessly through Hobbes's life, affecting everyone he
knows, from his partner Jonesy (John Goodman), to their chief, Lieutenant
Stanton (Donald Sutherland), among many others. The only way to find out
what is going on is to consult with Gretta Milano (Embeth Davidtz), the
daughter of a cop mentioned by the dying prisoner, a cop who had been decorated
for meritorious service but ended up committing suicide under scandalous
circumstances.
This is an absolutely fascinating plot, but there is a point in the middle
of the movie where one can feel a palpable loss of momentum. It takes a
good while for director Hoblit to get it to pick up again, but the conclusion
is very intense with a quite unexpected twist at the end. There is no really
outstanding performance except perhaps that of Koteas, but there are no
terrible ones, either. Washington, Goodman, and Sutherland are all good
actors, but they seem to be just putting in time here.
Fallen is the kind of movie that will keep you up at night (probably singing Rolling Stones tunes), or make you look deeply into the eyes of your spouse or lover to make sure they're the right person. Despite a lackluster performance by Washington and a long dead spot in the middle, it does not fail to thrill and chill, and if that is your cup of tea, it comes highly recommended. ****