I Still Have the Shovel

Rating: Null/10 (12 February 2008)

Like so many other projects, you have to find something not intended or not well exploited to enjoy it.
The film itself is ordinary, a noir revenge story. Its modern noir because the hero is captured in the story and the twists of reality he goes through are organized for our benefit.
Government conspiracy of extreme competence? Check. Individual with superhuman powers who unfailingly undoes it, leaving no man standing? Check. Pretty girl who gets swept up? Check. There really isn't much else left to the extremely strict formula, expect for the obligatory but minor plot twist associated with our hero's past.
What this has that is interesting are two things.
One is the idea about watching from a distance. These noir things depend on the notion of a watcher, us. Modern noir has a watcher folded into the story. Here, its our hero who can watch and touch from over a mile away. Its a big deal, a big idea that isn't quite exploited here. The director is too ordinary. Tony Scott could have done it.
The second is a short scene in the middle. Its there for purely expository reasons, to explain a key plot point. But its pretty darn good, one wonderful scene in the midst of a tepid movie. It a visit to an old fellow in the country. He's an expert gunsmith, supposedly the best. He's also clued into the "government" who is here portrayed as existing only to create attractive fictions.
The actor is immensely talented. The setup and writing here is a cut above the rest of the script, incisive, deep and many-layered. In the midst of a rant about conspiracies, he mentions that the shooters from the grassy knoll were dead three hours after the JFK shooting and buried in the desert . When slightly questioned our man simply says "I still have the shovel."
Its very impressive writing. It must have been someone else.
Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.