PHOENIX
US, 1998, 100 minutes, Colour.
Ray Liotta, Anthony la Paglia, Jeremy Piven, Daniel Baldwin, Anjelica Huston, Brittany Murphy, Xander Berkely. Giancarlo Esposito, Tom Noonan.
Directed by Danny Cannon.
Phoenix is a police drama, set in the city which is in the middle of a desert, hot and, as the film suggests, airless. The group of police that we see, bonding like Four Musketeers, is corrupt. They don’t take their work to seriously, play pranks on the other members of the force, are in contact with a loan shark, and finally decide to rob him. Which also leads to several killings.
The central focus is on Ray Liotta as Harry, alone, and addicted gambler, in debt to an agent, Chicago, played by Tom Noonan. However, he never welshes on payment and is driven to desperation to ask his friends to rob the loan shark. This gets out of hand and further corruption is revealed.
The film was produced by Ray Liotta, and his central role is a typical Liotta performance. Anthony La Paglia is his cynical friend. Other members of the group Daniel Baldwin and Jeremy Piven. There is an interesting performance by Angelica Huston as a world-weary server in a bar. Brittany Murphy is her daughter.
1. The title, the place, the overview of the cityscape, the state of mind, heat, the air, the desert?
2. The city and its police force, crime, clubs, homes, crime scenes, the musical score?
3. Harry, his arrival of the warehouse, blood and the wound, burning the dollar note? The transition to Mike and his friends, the flashbacks?
4. The credibility the credits, the for musketeers, friends, colleagues, antagonisms, their work together, on crime scenes and the different roles?
5. Harry as the centre, the crime scene of the mother with the gun to her husband, his abuse of her daughter, Harry going in, the mother giving up the gun, the persuasion, going out, his motivation for the mother, saving the situation and the daughter?
6. Harry, his behaviour, the corpse in the desert, the bet about shooting the cactus, Mike and his paying, Jim and the delay? The pranks in the office and the reaction of the other policeman? The superior officer and his sternness?
7. The abortion clinic, the rally, the young girl, Harry taking her, clubs, the poker game, homes? Her trying to be sexy? Harry taking her home, considering her bad luck?
8. Lila, her anger at Harry, humiliating the daughter, his visit to the bar, resistance, the attraction, the kiss, the prospect of dates? Her calling him a pig, his giving her the pig watch? The luck? to go to the movies, the music and the dancing? Ultimately her watching him drive past? Fatalist?
9. The plan for the robbery, the agreement, Fred and his difficulties, being the driver, the others willing to go in?
10. Louie, loan shark, the old man and the wound on his hand, the man who bashed him and Harry’s threats? Louis and his women, the club, the money, in the safe, the robbers in their masks, Louis recognising them, the shootings? The safe, Louis dead, their hiring the old man to open the safe, the gifts of cash? Dividing the money?
11. Mike and Katie, the adultery, Harry and his discovery, his attitude, sympathy for Fred? The chief and his taking photos, showing them to Fred? Fred and the betrayal? The chief taking the money?
12. Harry and Mike, as police, the siege, Mike pulling out Jim, shooting him, Mike’s death?
13. Harry, the wound, the money in the mail for Lila?
14. Chicago, his lending and taking bets, tough, demands, Harry never welshing?
15. Going to pay Chicago, then shooting him?
16. The chief, with Katie, the liaisons with different men, sadistic, the handcuffs, Harry and his burning money, the reaction? The police turning up, the arrest?
17. Harry driving off, wounded, dying, the car veering off the road? A sombre ending?
