SLOW BURN
US, 2005, 95 minutes, Colour.
Ray Liotta, L.L. Cool J., Mekhi Phifer, Jolene Blalock, Taye Diggs, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Bruce Mc Gill, Joe Grifasi.
Directed by Wayne Beach.
Slow Burn is a convoluted police thriller. It focuses on twenty-four hours in the life of a would-be candidate for mayor, played with intensity by Ray Liotta (but different from his more sinister and criminal roles). His associate DA, Jolene Blalock, tells him a story that she has been raped by a music store manager. At the same time an alleged friend of the deceased (L.L. Cool J.) arrives to explain another side of the story. As the film goes on, there are different perspectives on the same events, getting audiences to question who is telling the truth and who is lying. There are also some twists in terms of the identity of the criminal mastermind in the city.
Mekhi Phifer is the music manager, Taye Diggs a witness, Bruce Mc Gill the police chief, Joe Grifasi a desk sergeant with ambitions for imaginative writing and Chiwetel Ejiofor is a mysterious journalist.
Commentators have likened the film to The Usual Suspects – at least in terms of the central criminal being in close-up focus but audiences not realising it – or, perhaps wondering why the journalist was there and hanging around, they will guess who is the mastermind.
Not always easy to follow, but interesting characterisations and a variety of twists in the story.
1.The popularity of this kind of convoluted thriller? Police precinct? Accusations and arrests? Interrogations? The hidden truth?
2.The atmosphere of the city, the night, the police precincts, the streets, the flashbacks to clubs? The explosions in the early hours? Atmospheric – and the score?
3.The title, the description of the development of the plot, the characters? The actual fire? The revelation of the truth?
4.The focus on Ford Cole, his ambitions to be mayor (or whether he really wanted this office)? His work, his relationship with Nora, the personal relationship, relying on her, her skill in bringing gang members to court? His associates, reliance on them for information? Nora’s story, his reaction, believing her? The arrival of Luther Pinks? His alternate story, Cole and his listening, disbelief? Doubts? Going back and forth between Luther and Nora? The episode with Jeffrey Sykes and his being released? Godfrey and the officials of the city, asking for leeway until dawn? The story about Isaac? The further investigations, Luther Pinks as a former policeman? To be trusted or not? His growing anxiety, the information about 5.00am, the mystery, the news of the explosion? The false alarm – and the real explosion? His growing lack of faith in Nora? The flashbacks, his relationship with Nora, the fundraising, his campaigning? The initial discussions with Ty Trippin, having the questions ready? The nature of the interview? The growing confusion, discussions with the witness, the false identification of the chief criminal? Thinking that Luther Pinks was the criminal? The execution of Trippin? The discovery of the truth about Nora? His final bewilderment?
5.Nora, her background, black, passing as white – and vice versa? Her training, her ambitions? The contact with the city developer, getting information from him, arresting gang members? Her success? The relationship with Cole? The story of the rape, her grief, being held, her appeals to Cole? The flashbacks? The growing ambiguity, Pinks’ story? Her contact with the developer, the money-changing? The interlude with Isaac, his pursuing her or her leading him on? The shootings, his death? The fact that she was under surveillance? Her getting away, the money? The chief criminal and his execution – her inheriting his empire? Finally in the Cayman Islands?
6.Pinks, former policeman, his seemingly outlandish story, the effect on Cole? Staying in the precinct? The revelations? His own part in surveillance? The revelation about the FBI? Cole and the others under surveillance? The confusion with his sequence in the car with Ty Trippin? The revelation that Trippin was the mastermind? The irony of the execution – and Pinks being an authentic FBI agent?
7.Isaac, his being a pawn in the story, his friendship with Pinks? The seduction by Nora? Her story about his stalking? His telling the story to Pinks? His being a witness, his death?
8.Trippin, the journalist, in the car with Cole, asking the questions? His hanging around the precinct, the desk sergeant and his outlandish story for a television series? His observing what was going on? Audiences noticing him – wondering why he was there or not? The final revelation, the confrontation with Pinks, his death?
9.Sykes, in prison, his story, released, his wisecracks?
10.The local police, Godfrey, antagonism towards Cole? The explosion?
11.The background characters, the people working at the police station? The city developer and his plans? Intrigues? The twists and turns of the plot – how satisfying?
