CATCH. 44
US, 2011, 93 minutes, Colour.
Forest Whitaker, Bruce Willis, Malin Ackerman, Nikki Reed, Shea Wigham, Brad Dourif, Deborah Ann Wolf.
Directed by Aaron Harvey.
Catch. 44 is something of a cinema exercise in the vein of Quentin Tarantino, his circuitous storytelling, his emphasis on conversations and themes, criminals, betrayals, twists, and bloody and gory deaths.
It is a star vehicle for Forest Whitaker in a role rather unlike any of his others, seen first as a meek stranded tourist, then a cop killer, then a hitman for a drug dealer played by Bruce Willis, then in a confrontation and a shootout. The focus is on three women who are agents for the drug dealer and who set out on a mission for him, going to a diner, pulling their guns, involved in a shootout with a death – and then the film going back in time, which it does again after this, culminating in the shootout and building on the developments.
The leader of the women is played by Malin Ackerman, who had been working in a strip joint and had been saved from aggressive customers by Forest Whitaker, but she does not remember – even though he took her to the drug dealer’s house.
In the diner is another agent played by Shea Whigham who has Malin Ackerman at gunpoint and she him when Whitaker enters, kills two of the diners and there is a three-way discussion about who is betraying whom.
There are various shootings at the end, some unexpected – and one only of the central characters surviving.
Actually, the film is interesting in itself, though the background is rather sordid – but critics and fans did not respond well to it.
1. An interesting thriller? The structure and style? The dialogue and discussions? The failure of the film at the box office and critically?
2. The title and the play on Catch-22?
3. The influence of Quentin Tarantino, as a crime thriller, the kinds of characters and their confrontations, the extent to dialogue and discussions, images, parables? The convoluted way of telling the story, the ending and going back several times? Bloody and gory deaths? The insertion of flashbacks and building up characters in the middle of action? The twists and double dealings?
4. The cast, Forest Whitaker in an unusual performance, Bruce Willis as the world-weary drug lord, the three women?
5. The musical score, the range of songs, the ironic lyrics, commentary on character and actions?
6. The opening, the three women, in the car, going into the diner, their discussions, suddenly producing the guns, their background and mission, the woman behind the counter killing Kara, their shooting her, the man sitting at the table, shooting Dawn? And then the film going back?
7. The introduction to the three women, the two sisters, the memory of their parents, one showering and taking a long time, the other practical? The introduction to Tes, in the strip joint, getting ready to go out, the man following her, trying to pick her up, taking his wallet? The three women driving, out-of-town, Kara and her listening to the music, the music on the radio and the comment about Bruce Willis singing? The arguments, especially between Kara and Tes? The explanation of their mission, commissioned by Mel, Kara and her wariness? The arrival again, the repetition of the scene, the deaths?
8. Ronnie, the broken down car, his accent, smile, the policeman stopping, offering to fix the car, the genial chat, the shooting, Ronnie taking the uniform and dressing himself, the body in the boot of the car, later shooting the man again? The local sheriff, finding the dead man in the restroom?
9. The repetition of the shooting scene? Tes surviving? The man at the table dead? The frightened young couple? Billy, pulling the gun, Tes and her bewilderment, her memories of Mel, being taken to his house by Ronnie, the interview, her cheeky attitude towards Mel, his flirting, yet dominance, employing her? Billy and the revelation that Mel was doublecrossing her, the set up, Billy paid to kill her and the other women? Tes and Billy with their guns aimed at each other?
10. Ronnie’s arrival, audience knowing him because of the murder, seeing him in the police uniform, immediately shooting the young couple at the table, his taking charge of the situation, reminding Tes that he knew her, the flashback to the two men in the club, dissatisfaction with the women, propositioning Tes, her reaction, Ronnie and his standover tactics, saving her, taking her to Mel’s house? Her not remembering him?
11. Ronnie taking charge? The discussions with Billy? The to and fro about Mel, the money, Billy and his associate, taking the money? The fast forward glimpsed of Billy dead?
12. Psychological aspects of the trio interacting? The audience hearing the shots from outside, Billy dead, Ronnie wounded, Tes wounded?
13. Mel arriving with his chauffeur, surveying the bodies, sitting in the booth, the discussion with Ronnie, the story about Running Bear and the cowboy, the allegory, application to Ronnie, Ronnie and his deal, Mel saying he betrayed him, Mel shooting him.
14. Mel seeing Tes, her pulling the gun and shooting him?
15. The chauffeur, listing outside, Tes coming to the window, with the gun, stranding him – and her driving off – to what? And the glimpse of the sheriff during the credits about to enter the diner?
