DÉJÁ VU (Tony Scott). 119 minutes. For venues and times, see Movies, page 106, Rating: NNN Rating: NNN
Given that Tony Scott ‘s last two films, Domino and Man On Fire, have been moral sewers and aesthetic nightmares, the relative formal coherence and heroic position of its protagonist make Déjá Vu something of a pleasure to watch.
In the aftermath of a terrorist bombing in New Orleans, Alcohol Tobacco Firearms investigator Doug Carlin ( Denzel Washington ) discovers that the feds have developed a secret scientific way to see into the past, but only up to four days before an event. So, while they can follow a trail backwards, they’re a bit limited. Carlin becomes obsessed with a victim killed before the attack, and with the possibility of saving her through time travel, but that idea doesn’t appeal to the scientific team running things.
If you buy the premise, it’s a fun thriller, anchored by Washington’s integrity as an actor (he’s capable of elevating Scott’s movies, some very heavy lifting) and the fun cast around him, notably Val Kilmer ‘s FBI man and Adam Goldberg as the science guy, apparently making up his own dialogue on the spot.
