3-Star <i>GeneralÂ's Daughter</i>
We interrupt your regularly scheduled Jar Jars, Mummys, and Mini-MeÂ's, to bring you this special movie bulletin: There is actually a film with thrills for adults this summer. "The GeneralÂ's Daughter" is its name.
Few thrillers these days can help themselves from mimicking other thrillers. And The GeneralÂ's Daughter does nearly get caught in this trap (especially when it comes to the ending). But for the most part, this John Travolta vehicle offers excitement, intrigue, and a foray into the dark side in a well-acted, sharply written, and craftily directed package.
Travolta plays a top investigator for the U.S. ArmyÂ's Criminal Investigation Division. In a rather long, mostly expendable opening sequence, we see Travolta sporting an annoying, fake Southern accent (bad memories of Bill Clinton and Primary Colors) as he goes undercover as a soldier at a military base.
At one point, he finds himself with a blown-out tire and some unexpected assistance from a beautiful Army captain (played by Leslie Stefanson). Soon after, TravoltaÂ's case is closed. But the beautiful Army captain is dead, her body found bound and naked in a military training field.
Turns out, the captain happens to be the daughter of a highly regarded and decorated general who is about to make a bid for the vice presidency. Travolta, along with an ex-flame and CID cohort (Madeleine Stowe), investigates the murder.
But there are obstacles. While Travolta holds the power to arrest any military person (regardless of name, rank, and serial number), he and Stowe must climb the armyÂ's wall of silence. And the wall hides some hideous secrets.
Director Simon West (Con Air) can really milk the suspense without overfilling the bucket. He gives us some great tense moments but spares us those cheap, mega-decibel cheats we see way too often in thrillers these days. He also scores with good timing, pacing, and shot composition.
Even more importantly, he fleshes out some great characters (with particularly noteworthy performances from James Cromwell as the General, James Woods as the murdered captainÂ's superior, and Clarence Williams III as the generalÂ's deputy colonel).
The script, based on Nelson DeMilleÂ's novel and written for the screen by newcomer Christopher Bertolini and veteran scribe William Goldman (Marathon Man, All The PresidentÂ's Men, Misery, and Absolute Power, just to name a few), boasts plenty of great dialogue.
Travolta doesnÂ't just say, Â"I have a concussion,Â" he bellows, Â"IÂ'm concussed.Â" In response to a comment about his father, he replies, Â"My dad was a drunk, a gambler, and a womanizer. I worshipped him.Â"
Even the good chemistry between Travolta and Stowe could very well have come right from the page.
In addition to its entertainment value, the film also offers a bit of insight into a few contemporary issues: women in the military, sexual harassment, and army code vs. civilian ode and family code, among them. It could conceivably even spark intelligent discussion.
Where the movie completely drops the ball is in its revelation of the perpetrator(s). The choice seems forced, ill-conceived, and unconvincing. And the climactic confrontation could have been better executed.
This is one movie that may actually have benefited from one of those audience test screenings and a re-shoot.
And just as a general note, maybe weÂ'd all be better off if whodunnits started fingering the ones weÂ'd most likely suspect.
The movie more than redeems itself, though, in the concluding sequence, when another offense is addressed. Murder, it turns out, is hardly the only crime committed in this movie. And ultimately, it may not be the greatest one.
Written by Rob Medich