Not so much a science lecture than an old-fashioned crime thriller

Rating: 7/10 (17 January 2007)

"I don't know how a cellphone works but I know how to use it," says Denzel Washington's character at some point in director Tony Scott's latest project - the thriller-slash-sci-fi film "Deja Vu."
In a way, it mirrors much of the film's requirement for the audience's high level of suspension of disbelief; because as far as plausibility goes, Scott and screenwriters Bill Marsilii and Terry Rossio care less about the details of theoretical physics to make a scientifically sound premise than to provide a fresh twist on the cinematic staple car chase. This is still a Jerry Bruckheimer-funded movie, after all.
The movie starts with various people, mostly members of the US Navy, boarding a New Orleans ferry. At this point the movie runs for a little over ten minutes without much dialog - only snippets of randomness showcasing a relatively muted Scott-style editing. However, a few moments after departure, the ferry explodes and ATF agent Doug Carlin (Washington) gathers enough evidence from the crime scene to rule out an accident. Moreover, the discovery of the body of Claire Kuchever (Paula Patton) near the crime scene virtually suggests foul play and leads Carlin to discover that he had previous contact with the victim although he can't remember it.
FBI agent Pryzwarra (Val Kilmer) then enlists Carlin's help in investigating the case by introducing the latter to a device that enables them to look four days into the past, trying to obtain any information that might help in pinning down the suspect - in the process spying on Claire, and doing an unorthodox mad chase scene across the highways of New Orleans. (How unorthodox? Let's just say Carlin is chasing the past. Yeah, terrible pun. Sorry.)
As with any films toying with space-time continuum, "Deja Vu" suffers from plot holes resulting from the inherent paradox of the subject. But Scott and the writers wisely keep the proceedings lively by infusing the film with genuine tension and the fact that the audience isn't required much to mull on the specifics. Scott also exercises restraint in his usually artistic overindulgence and it results to a hearty old-fashioned crime thriller wedged somewhere in the pseudoscience mumbo jumbos.
Washington, as usual, provides a solid presence for the film although his performance is a step down from the earlier "Inside Man." But his conviction for the case, along with some able support from Patton, makes it easier for the audience to go along with the story. Jim Caviezel as the villain, Kilmer, Adam Goldberg, and a bunch of others are merely drifting along, though.
There were times when "Deja Vu" felt a little too long even by Jerry Bruckheimer standards but overall it's a satisfying experience. Like Carlin, I couldn't care less about intrauniverse wormholes but I sure know how to appreciate it in what could be its most practical application this time and age: a decent device for putting a new twist to an otherwise standard crime thriller.