| The
Review: |
"All this stuff about addiction
is a matter of how strong you are. Got to get strong. You
kick the bed covers a week or two, you run a little temperature.
You get up on your feet, stand, and walk." -- Dialogue from
"Rush" ***
Inspired by a true story and based
on a book by Kim Wozencraft, "Rush" tells the story of two
narcotics officers who go undercover in a small Texas town
to eliminate a major kingpin and relieve the community of
the ills of drugs. Jason Patric plays Jim Raynor, a member
of the police force for some time, who is called upon by his
supervisor to enlist the help of a partner. Rather than select
someone from the precinct, Raynor chooses civilian Kristen
Cates, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh; Cates simply says,
"I want to make a difference," without any idea of what she's
in for. ***
In the world of undercover police
work, anything goes, as Raynor explains to his new apprentice.
This means everything from experimenting with drugs to win
the trust of certain dealers, to living the low life, from
unkempt appearances to working-class living conditions. You
have to know how to roll a joint. You have to be fluent in
what kinds of drugs are "baked." Forget any of this, and you'll
be dead in a New York minute. ***
Cates is at once courageous and
petrified by what faces her, perhaps comforted by the calm
reassurance from Raynor, who like many users of drugs believes
in their recreational ability; the word "addiction" has no
bearing for him. He's a cop; he knows when enough is enough.
And then things start going into motion: they move into a
plain country house, go out to the local dive everynight attempting
to score some stash. The first time Cates experiments with
cocaine, she is surprised at how natural it came to her. Later,
after another encounter with a dealer who forces them to inject
at gunpoint, she remarks, "I liked being scared." The process
has already begun, and like other addicts, they never see
it coming. ***
The changes that these two characters
go through during the course of the film is eye-opening and
intense, all of them relating back to the simple fact that
one does not use drugs; they use you. They have no one to
turn to for help, not even the police chief, who goes so far
as to infer that they should resort to planting evidence in
order to catch the criminals. In order to overcome their addiction
problems, they must look to one another. As Raynor said in
the beginning to Cates, "All we've got is each other." ***
The film is well-made and features
a full roster of excellent performances. The plot is one suspense-filled
drug deal after another, with death always waiting behind
the curtain if anything goes wrong. I love films that are
able to derive intensity out of relatively actionless situations;
not all movies need gunfights and car chases to generate thrills,
and this proves it. There are elements of a love story between
Cates and Raynor, one that further develops into a resonant
emotional connection that will be their ultimate survival.
Under the brilliant and nuanced performances of Patric and
Leigh and a terrific supporting cast that includes Sam Elliott,
Gregg Allman, and Max Perlich, each character is fleshed out
and fully realized in a way that gives them a high degree
of humanity. ***
What surprises me the most about
"Rush" is its first-time director, Lili Fini Zanuck, who shows
real talent in handling the material, and proves herself as
a worthy filmmaker with her debut entry. She knows what the
story needs, what visual depiction it deserves, and displays
a certain degree of trust in her cast. Through a combination
of these elements, the effects of drugs, love, and fear are
expertly conveyed with emotion and real power. "Rush" may
not be remembered by many, but through its gritty interpretation
of a dark underworld, one thing remains everclear: in the
world of drugs, no one gets away clean.
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| Image
and Sound |
The transfer of the film's original
widescreen image is a success in all fields. The 1.85:1 anamorphically
enhanced image is blessed with smooth, sharp edges and detail
that remains distinct throughout. There are little to no signs
of edge enhancement artifacts in any scenes, and noise and
distractions are kept at a bare minimum. Colors are solid
and vibrant throughout, with accurate fleshtones and deep,
pure blacks for good measure. This is one of MGM's better
catalog title transfers to date. ***
The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is
less impressive, but still manages to please. Dialogue is
nicely centered and sounds clear throughout, while the music
has been recorded well enough to be satisfying. Overall, the
surrounds don't get the attention they should, especially
with the music, which only goes about halfway into the rear,
and the lack of sound effects doesn't provide much engagement,
either. Even still, the cleanliness of the track is still
quite commendable.
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