Usually it's boy meets girl, then falls in love. Not with "Deja Vu," a Touchstone Pictures film released last week. In this case the boy falls for the girl before meeting her.
The boy in question is Denzel Washington, an Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent investigating a ferry bombing that killed 543 people. Washington's character, Doug Carlin, quickly determines the explosion wasn't an accident and will spend the rest of the 125-minute movie trying to catch the bad guy, Carroll Orestadt (Jim Caviezel).
Teaming up with director Tony Scott for the third time -- the two did "Crimson Tide" and "Man on Fire," Washington's role is nothing new -- strong leading man taking on the villain mostly on his own and saving the day to boot. It's a role Washington, a two-time Oscar winner, has perfected and does well, still, the part's gotten to be a bit like a record stuck in a groove.
Putting meat into his role is Caviezel, inserting a coldness into his character that unnerves as well as draws you in. Caviezel's Carroll has been repeatedly turned down by the federal government for jobs because of mental instability. Thinking himself a patriot and a "little human collateral is the cost of freedom" Carroll decides to get revenge by bombing a ferry filled with navy personnel.
The investigation takes a turn when a body is found away from the bomb site. Initially it's thought Claire Kuchever (Paula Patton) is just another ferry victim until Doug realizes she was killed earlier. Thinking if he can catch her murderer he'll find the bomber he heads over to her home, where he finds blood and a phone message -- from himself. Claire had tried calling Doug earlier, but didn't leave her name. Forensics also find Doug's prints all over the house, but he can't clarify how they got there since he never visited the residence before. Hmmmm.
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"Deja Vu" would be a typical cop chasing the bad guy while the clock is ticking except for one thing: time travel. Investigating with the assistance of the FBI, Doug learns the bureau has a "time window" program where the government can monitor the past. I won't bother to try and explain the mechanics -- theoretical physics are way beyond this girl's scope -- just know scientists can go four days into the past.
Doug finds this hard to believe, but goes with it because as he says, "For once in my life I'd like to catch someone before they do something horrible." In peeking into Claire's past Doug not only begins to fall in love, but learns the bomber approached her to steal her vehicle to rig it with explosives. Carroll later kills Claire to, well, get rid of the evidence.
While the time window can't give investigators a name, it does tell them where the bomber will be at a certain time. However, Carroll's capture is bungled when Doug's partner tries to apprehend him. In response, Doug decides to go into the past, rescue Claire and nab Carroll.
Easier said than done. Doug manages to save Claire, but loses Carroll who has bomb in tow. Doug tells Claire she's safer with him, so the two chase after Carroll to the ferry. Busted, Carroll plans to go out with guns blazing and bombs bursting.
Do Claire and Doug live happily ever after? Sort of, but only after one of them dies. Did I lose you?
"Deja Vu" is entertaining but does have problems. For one, it starts out good but seems to lose steam as it goes.
It's also tends to be confusing -- if the scientific mumbo jumbo loses you early on you spend later scenes trying to figure things out. For example, when Doug is chasing the bomber he's doing it in his time, but also the past. So while he's speeding after the killer he's not only got to dodge present day traffic but the traffic from days past. Have I lost you again?
However, the action scenes are exciting and keeps you glued to the screen. "Deja Vu" also scores points by being shot in post-Katrina New Orleans. It doesn't shy away from showing the devastation the hurricane left behind -- abandoned and totaled homes surrounded by debris. Yet the movie also reveals the tenacity and love for life found in the city's residents.
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"Deja Vu's" storyline may not be commonplace, I mean, let's face it, for most going back in time isn't the norm without serious pharmaceutical help, but its trippiness is its advantage. How else can you swing a movie where a guy falls in love with a girl he never met, meets her, then meets her again later ... for the first time?
Merilee Reinke covers arts and entertainment. E-mail mreinke@superiortelegram.com or call (715) 394-4421, ext. 139.
