FIREWALL (2006)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia (Originally written in 2006)
As "Firewall" begins, Jack is conversing with a new client, Bill Cox (Paul Bettany), who will help foresee a merger thanks to Jack's associate (Robert Forster, who has a slightly smaller role than in "Mulholland Dr."). But before Jack can leave his business appointment, Bill gets in Jack's car and holds him at gunpoint, forcing Jack to drive to his own house. Two-thirds of the movie practically takes place in Jack's house, as Bill confronts Jack's family who's already hostage to some of Bill's minions and comes up with a new proposal. Bill wants Jack to electronically rob his own bank - a round figure of about 100 million from several customer accounts. If Jack doesn't comply, his family will be killed. Of course, one can surmise that if Jack does comply, his family will be killed anyway.
Yes, my dear moviegoers, we have seen this scenario countless times before. The new additions to the plot are the modern technological devices such as iPods used as hard drives, the duplication of cell phones (at least in 2006), using laptops in bathrooms (I rather enjoyed that moment) and so on. Everything else that occurs can be legitimately guessed by the average moviegoer (though who would have guessed that these robbers enjoy Hungry Man dinners and watching Fred Flinstone. Makes them seem almost human).
So why on earth am I recommending "Firewall"? One simple reason: Harrison Ford makes the movie entertaining and that is what counts. I must confess that I have not been kind to Ford in the last ten years. Everything he appeared in since 1995, from the insufferable "Sabrina" remake to the truly preposterous "Air Force One," to the astoundingly awful "What Lies Beneath" and "The Devil's Own," gave me the impression that Ford was not in his element (don't get me harping on "Hollywood Homicide"). But as Jack Stanfield, Ford is more cocksure and focused than ever. His steadfast determination to set everything right is felt from one frame to the next. Even the obligatory fistfight feels urgent because it is Ford in a vulnerable mode, and he's one of a select few that can make the most jaded viewer care about his plight.
There are even slight, perhaps unintended homages to other Ford films. When Jack is on a roof and descends to someone's apartment on a rainy night, you can't help but think of "Blade Runner." A suspenseful sequence where Ford madly types away at a computer terminal and evades being caught by his boss (Robert Patrick) bring up memories of "Clear and Present Danger." Ford asleep at his secretary's house while trying to find his family reminds one of "Frantic."
As for the supporting cast, it is a mixed bag at best. Paul Bettany is a strange kind of villain - he threatens but never truly means any harm to Jack's family (though to be fair, he does try to kill their son by taking advantage of his allergy to nuts). Bettany's Bill is far more threatening whenever his minions screw up - he just shoots them in the head point blank. And I never quite understood what Bill's motives were beyond robbing the bank - villains and terrorists in these thrillers never seem to think beyond financial matters. Still, Bettany has strong rapport with Ford and sparkles every time they share a scene together.
Virginia Madsen could certainly have used more leverage for her role as the domesticated wife (a stay-at-home architect to be sure). Robert Forster and Alan Arkin seem to exist in a vacuum - blink, and you'll forget they ever appeared in the film. Robert Patrick could've have had an extra scene or two since he is a powerful presence (unless Ford was afraid of being upstaged). The one actor that truly shines is Mary Lynn Rajskub ("Punch Drunk Love") as Jack's secretary. She is a quirky actress with enough wit and spunk to make one wish she was cast as Jack's wife - hell, why the hell not? If Calista Flockhart can be Ford's real-life squeeze...get the picture?
"Firewall" is a walking cliche where you can anticipate its every move, but it has Harrison Ford doing what he does best - delivering the fearless action hero who has to do everything he can to protect his family. For some of us, that is about as satisfying a time at the movies as one has come to expect.
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