REINDEER GAMES
US, 2000, 106 minutes, Colour.
Ben Affleck, Gary Sinese, Charlize Theron, James Frain, Isaac Hayes, Donal Logue, Denis Farina.
Directed by John Frankenheimer.
Reindeer Games is a thriller by the veteran director John Frankenheimer. Moving from television in the 1950s, Frankenheimer had a very strong career, especially in the first half of the 1960s with such films as Birdman of Alcatraz, Seven Days in May, The Train. With Grand Prix he went more commercial and he had an up-and-down career in cinemas and on television. Some of his later striking films included The Burning Season with Raoul Julia and the fight of the rubber people against landowners and destroyers of the forests in Brazil.
This is a thriller set at Christmas time. Ben Affleck portrays a car thief who is in jail and befriends his roommate (James Frain). The cellmate reads him letters from a correspondent – and when the friend is murdered in a prison riot, and he is released, he takes on the identity of the cellmate and begins a relationship with the woman (Charlize Theron).
However, there are various set-ups, various twists which continue to make the film interesting – even though, one hopes, farfetched.
The plan is a casino robbery on an Indian reservation, the casino managed by Denis Farina. However, the central villain is played by Gary Sinese (who was an equally abhorrent villain in Ron Howard’s Ransom).
However, everything is not as it seems, and there are surprises towards the end of the film – and a rather Christmassy and benign ending to a film which is violent with touches of brutality.
1.A tough thriller, ugly aspects, twists?
2.The winter, Christmas season? Prison? Michigan, the countryside, the snow, the casino? The wintry mood?
3.The title, the references to Rudolph the Red-Nosed? Reindeer? Rudy as central character, the Santa Clauses, the sleigh ride, the reindeer games, the end?
4.The credibility of the plot, Rudy in prison, his relationship with Nick, Nick’s murder, getting out, taking Nick’s identity, the plan for the robbery, his shrewd reactions to the plan, saving himself? The leaders of the group, the pawns? The heist, the betrayals, the end?
5.The introduction to Rudy and Nick, Nick and his letters from Ashley, Rudy and his exercises, Nick and his talk, the riot, Nick’s death?
6.Rudy and his leaving, seeing Ashley, getting out of the bus, taking Nick’s identity, his motivations, the relationship with Ashley, the sexual relationship, her thinking he was Nick? The introduction to Monster? To the group? His protests about his identity, his ability to lie? This in retrospect after discovering Ashley’s plan, Nick’s plan, and his being a pawn to use Monster to do the robbery?
7.The effect on Rudy, the threats, information, his pretence, in the motel, chained, his trying to escape?
8.The casino, Jack, managing the casino, the Indian reservation, the money, the contrast with Las Vegas, the snow, the customers? The lax security?
9.Monster, the character, sinister-looking, his speech about the trucking and his lack of opportunity? His henchmen? Their loyalty? Their violence?
10.Christmas, the plan with everybody in Santa Claus dress, in the casino, Jack and the observation, Rudy and his picking a fight with the old man, saving the customers? The shootouts, the security, Jack and the safe, the special safe and Rudy’s memories, getting the money?
11.Rudy and the escape, Monster and Ashley, the threats, Ashley shooting Monster? Nick appearing, the explanation of his fake death, the master plan, Rudy as a pawn?
12.Ashley, her character, sympathetic, the letters? Her relationship with Rudy? Defending him? The irony of Rudy seeing her in the pool with Monster, suspicions? The irony of her masterminding the plan? Nick’s arrival, his relationship with her, the setting up of Rudy, the letters?
13.Rudy in the car, hot-wiring it, reversing into Nick, the flames, Ashley and her death?
14.Rudy, the distribution of the money, peacefully at home for Christmas?
15.Farfetched – but exciting and ingenious?
