Film Review: Swordfish (2001)
Some Hollywood films are among collateral victims of 9/11 because their plot, content details or message they tried to convey didn’t sit well among audience following that shocking event. That included even films that were released months before and actually had more than decent results of box office. The most prominent example is Swordfish, 2001 action film directed by Dominic Sena.
Plot deals with Gabriel Shear (played by John Travolta), renegade FBI agent who wants Stanley Jobson (played by Hugh Jackman), former hacker and paroled convict, to take part in complicated and dangerous scheme to steal billions of dollars from US government slush funds. Stanley agrees, partly due to Gabriel’s intimidation and partly because he wants to reunite with young daughter Holly (played by Camryn Grimes) who is currently living with his estranged ex wife Melissa (played by Drea De Matteo). Stanley begins to wonder what he has gotten himself into, since Gabriel seems to be ruthless man who thinks little of killing anyone to stand in his way. When FBI agent Roberts (played by Don Cheadle) becomes involved, Stanley is unsure whether Gabriel is common criminal, part of deep cover government sting operation or patriotic rebel who wants to bring down corrupt politicians like Senator Reisman (played by Sam Shepard).
A year earlier Dominic Sena directed Gone in 60 Seconds, another big budget action film for Jerry Bruckheimmer. Superficially, Swordfish is very similar, but, being produced by Joel Silver, legendary figure between some of the most iconic action films of 1980s and 1990s, it is built more on the old formula oriented towards more adult or male audience. While film features plenty of action, including spectacular scene featuring major explosion, there is plenty of content that involves sex and some attitudes that even then were considered sexist. One of the examples can be found in outrageous scene in which Gabriel tests Stanley’s hacking abilities in one of the more bizarre ways imaginable. The other, better known, example is brief scene during Halle Berry, actress playing Gabriel’s associate Ginger Knowles, briefly appears topless. Completely gratuitous scene, for which Berry, one of the greater Hollywood stars at the time, was allegedly paid 500,000 US$ of bonus, was before premiere used as part of film’s promotion. Those who care little about those minor details would, on the other hand, see Swordfish as reasonably made film that tries to compensate for overcomplicated and confusing plot by plenty of style, good direction and decent performances, especially in the case of John Travolta who, just like in Face/Off, relishes at opportunity to play enigmatic semi-villain. Inevitable comparisons with John Woo’s film, on the other hand, would be at the expense of Swordfish, most notably because of somewhat bland acting by Jackman and Berry and disappointing ending. But the biggest problem for Swordfish is its somewhat schizophrenic attitude towards US government, which is shown to be full of corrupt, incompetent and ruthless people that stomp on human and civil rights, while at the same time the same film celebrates US government operatives acting like vigilantes and taking out dangerous terrorists without any regards for law, domestic or international. In light of 9/11 and abuses related to War on Terror, Swordfish with its message that could be interpreted as its justification, became less pleasant than it had been when originally made.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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