A dramatic mystery in which practically every major character is not what he or she seems, Basic has so many twists and turns that it c
ould mesmerise some viewers.
The military thriller could frustrate and upset others who may feel cheated and resent the movie's violence and devious tricks. They may feel too manipulated as one puzzle is challenged by another. Too many conflicting points of view make one wonder if there was a prize for packing the maximum number of twists in a 98-minute long film.
Director John McTiernan, in Basic, reunites with his Pulp Fiction (director: Quentin Tarantino) costar Samuel L Jackson. Though the fast-paced movie is appealing, the Rashomon (director: Akira Kurosawa) approach of telling a story from conflicting viewpoints is used without plausibility or dramatic honesty. Many viewers might find plenty of guilty pleasure in the film.
McTiernan, whose flops include last year's big turkey Rollerball, and hits like Die Hard and The Hunt For Red October, is in better control of the script here than in several of his recent films, including 13th Warrior.
McTiernan -- with screenwriter James Vanderbilt, director of photography Steve Mason and editor George Folsey Jr -- imbues the film with plenty of tension, relentless, restless camerawork and a few compelling performances.
Six Army Ranger trainees, headed into a hurricane for training, do not reach their destination. Base commander Bill Styles (Tim Daly) begins searching for them. The men were accompanied by Sergeant Nathan West (Samuel L Jackson), a legendary but controversial officer whom they intensely dislike.
The commander sees Dunbar (Brian Van Holt) carrying a wounded Kendall (Giovanni Ribisi); he also witnesses Dunbar exchange gunfire with a third trainee Mueller (Dash Mihok), eventually killing Mueller. It appears only two men have survived.
At the base, when investigating officer Captain Julia Osborne (Connie Nielsen) finds it impossible to make headway, the commander invites friend and ex-Ranger Tom Hardy (Travolta) to help solve the mystery.
But Hardy comes with a reputation: he is under investigation for taking bribes as a drug enforcement agent and, like the recruits, loathes West.
Hardy discovers the stories Dunbar and Kendall tell do not connect. But the two are willing to admit that West and the other four trainees are dead.
As Hardy and Osborne continue their investigation and go back and forth between the two survivors, flashbacks from the jungle offer conflicting scenarios as the stories keep changing. We get glimpses of West humiliating the unit's only black member (Taye Diggs).
The investigation becomes more complicated when the base hospital's head doctor (Harry Connick Jr) is suspected of selling drugs to the trainees. This is a touchy area for Hardy.
Travolta offers an interesting performance, reflecting his hard drive and confidence to untangle deep hidden secrets. Nielsen was seen recently in the ill-fated mystery drama, The Hunted. She turns in a competent performance. Jackson makes a flamboyant effort.
Though most of the characters are not fully convincing, there are a couple of other interesting performances by actors who work hard to make their parts convincing. Ribisi, for instance, holds himself well despite having to deal with too many quirks. Van Holt is arresting as the conflicted soldier.
Among the film's weak points is the inadequate way the tension between Hardy and Osborne is explored.
As McTiernan proved with Die Hard, he is better equipped at handling a project that blasts audiences out of their seats than cerebral and convincing mystery dramas.
