DÉJÀ VU

US, 2006, 128 minutes, Colour.
Denzel Washington, Paula Patten, Val Kilmer, James Caviezel, Adam Goldberg, Elden Hensen, Bruce Greenwood, Matt Craven.
Directed by Tony Scott.

If one was asked to describe the genre for Déjà Vu in a few words, one might say that it is a crime thriller masquerading as futuristic science fiction or, on the other hand, science fiction masquerading as a crime thriller – with a romance (in reverse) thrown in. It is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott, so it is quite big, loud and booming.

The setting is New Orleans, the first film to be made there after Hurricane Katrina and the film pays tribute to the city. Denzel Washington is his genial and honourable self once again as an investigator of the brutal explosion on a river ferry with many deaths. So far, so straightforward. He is approached by FBI agent, Val Kilmer, who seconds him to a specialist team to track down the terrorist.

And then it changes. We move into the realm of time travel. In Minority Report, Tom Cruise was preventing crimes before they happened. Denzel wants to rectify a crime that has already happened.

There is a great deal of scientific jargon offered to explain how the space time continuum can fold on itself – and how people can meet their former selves, take an alternate path in time and a whole lot of other hypotheses that seem to be physically and metaphysically impossible. Now, if you are patient and tolerant of all these theories, you may well have a wonderful time as the events are relived, how the screenplay takes us back to literal déjà vu of the opening, of events in the life of the terrorist’s hostage which we have seen from the other side and now understand what happened – or might have happened.

If you have a low frustration tolerance of the seeming logic covering the lack of logic in time travel, then your patience might not hold.

As a crime investigation, there is plenty to interest us. As time travel, maybe. And as a romance where the hero first comes across the woman as dead, then, as they say, it is romance in reverse, from death to life, it is pleasingly emotional.

Paula Patton is attractive as the hostage and Jim Caviezel has the chance to be diabolical rather than Christlike as the terrorist.

1. An entertaining thriller? The popularity of thrillers with terrorist themes? Investigations? The thwarting of terrorist activity? In the light of 11 September, 2001 and its aftermath?

2. A time travel film, the plausibility of time travel, scientific explanations, going into the past, changing the past – yet saving people from death in the past?

3. The title, the sense of déjà vu, the audience seeing the past again from the opening with the boat on the river and the repeat of the episodes?

4. New Orleans, post-Hurricane Katrina, the river, the riverboats, the crowds of people, the happiness on the boat, the glimpses of wreckage after the hurricane? The police, the homes, authentic atmosphere? Musical score?

5. The work of Tony Scott, action director, background in commercials, pace, editing? Thrills?

6. The opening of the film, the sailors, the canal boat, the captain and the siren? The people, the families, the music, ‘When the Saints Go Marching In”, people in profile, joyful? The car, the attendant, the Beach Boys music – and the explosion? The disaster, the bodies, the numbers of the dead, the people in the water, the survivors, the rescue? The beginning of the investigations?

7. Denzel Washington as Doug Carlin? His screen presence, genial, practical, his work, with the people, the investigations, the interrogations, the speculation about the bridge? The various theories?

8. The various authorities: Agent Pryzwarra, FBI authority, his personality, friendship with Doug? Jack McCready?, authoritative, his speeches to the press? The various approaches, the levels of competence, the discussions, the river officials, the police? The information gathered? The Special Squad?

9. The office and laboratory of the Special Squad? The explanation of the technology? The discovery of being able to see the past? Signs and theories, space-folding? The four days, the focus on particular events, the reconstruction, the lens moving around to survey? Issues of surveillance, close-ups, prying and prurience? The use of the technology for discovery, conclusions? Denny and his explanations, Shanti and her work? Doug and his reaction? The investigation of Claire, seeing Claire, knowing that she had died, his getting the body from the river? The effect on him?

10. Doug, the close watching of all that had happened? His going to Claire’s house, seeing the cloths with the blood, the message and the phone call? The mystery, the intrigue? Clare’s dead body, the dress? The issue of the vehicle with the bomb?

11. Denny and the various members of the staff, their skill at their work, speculations, discoveries?

12. The discovery of the killer? The performance of Jim Caviezel and his screen presence? Quiet menace? Madness? The religious dimensions? Apocalyptic? The individual to be sacrificed for the greater good? His lack of conscience? The means for tracking him? Seeing him, the house, the vehicle, the encounter with Claire, his killing her? The bomb? Going to the boat?

13. Doug, the possibility of going back in time, his decision, the process? His arriving four days earlier, the importance of his partner, leaving the note – and the partner going, leading to his death? The encounter with Claire, her concern, suspicions of him? The killer abducting her? The car chases in the past – with the cars in the present? Doug being wounded, Claire looking after him, the blood and the bandages? Her suspicions and ringing, leaving a message for him? The rescue of Claire, the confrontation with the killer, the explosion and the house going up in flames?

14. The irony of time, time change? Doug’s partner’s death? The audience seeing what had happened on one side of the mystery and having seen the other – the message and the phone call back? Claire’s making it and the reasons for it? The pursuit of the killer, the strategy, Doug on the boat, Claire and the warning?

15. Claire and her personality, first seen dead, Doug’s watching her, involvement with her, emotionally? His going back, her going into action? On the boat, her inability to stop the killer?

16. The killer and his plan, the vehicle, taking Claire’s, killing her? Going to the boat, his being surprised, the change of the timing – the bomb, its going overboard, not causing the mass killing? The audience seeing the people that they had seen at the opening of the film – and their not being killed?

17. The reality and unreality of time travel, space-folding? The motivation to save lives? Claire meeting Doug, not knowing him, the future?

18. Which genre prevailed: time travel, terrorist thriller, police investigation, romance in reverse?