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As Good As It Gets

Absolutely the worst movie.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Costa-Gravas' film 'Mad City' tells the story of an idiot who decides to turn around his life by taking hostages; needless to say, it doesn't end well. The film is also a satire on the media, happy to watch bad things happening (or even to make bad things happen) as long as there's a story: now Donald Trump is President-elect, this point certainly bears re-telling. But regarding the set-up, there's an obvious reference point, the brilliant Sidney Lumet film 'Dog Day Afternoon', and sadly, that movie puts this one well into the shade. The characters in 'Mad City' are unfortunately one-dimensional and the film's cards are unambiguously on the table throughout. For all their A-list status, stars Dustin Hoffman and John Travolta fail to bring the uninspiring script to life.

Hard-hitting ratings-obsessed investigative TV reporter Max Brackett (Dustin Hoffman) is sent to the Museum of Natural History to do a story about its financial difficulties. Recently fired security guard Sam Baily (John Travolta) locks down the museum and takes everybody including a group of school kids hostage. Laurie Callahan (Mia Kirshner) is Max's inexperienced camera person outside. Lou Potts (Robert Prosky) is the station manager and Dohlen (William Atherton) is the local anchor. While arguing with the curator Mrs. Banks (Blythe Danner), Sam accidentally shoots his fellow guard Cliff (Bill Nunn). The situation escalates into a media circus. Network anchor Kevin Hollander (Alan Alda) reluctantly takes over the broadcast despite mistrusting Brackett. Chief Lemke (Ted Levine) leads the local cops.Travolta tries too hard with his hang-dog face. He gets a bit annoying by acting too much. He would be more scary and more depressed by being quieter. At first, I wondered if he's trying to play a slow character and if it would be better for him to be more normal. The movie does a functional job skewering the news media. Hoffman is a solid selfish newsman. This is not that great but it gets by.

Costa-Gavras's Mad City has too many familiar elements ranging from Dog Day Afternoon to Falling Down to Ace in the Hole but something has gone awry in the screenplay as its neither sharp nor with grim humour.John Travolta is Sam Baily a museum security guard that has been laid off sue to budget cuts. He is so embarrassed that he has not told his wife of his joblessness. Seething with anger he goes to the museum and holds his boss (Blythe Danner) and a class of visiting school children hostage at gunpoint which recklessly goes off and wounds his form workmate.Also trapped in the museum is Max Brackett (Dustin Hoffman) who sees and opportunity to take advantage by broadcasting on the sly live on the local news. When Sam catches him, Max exploits Sam's naivety to bolster his own flagging career by promising Sam to spin the news to make him popular and allow him to air his grievances to the media.Mad City shows how a minor incident spirals out of control and becomes a national incident. Before long the FBI takeover from the local police, the major networks come down hard on both Brackett and Bailey and no one is quiet in control as they thought they were.The film is proficiently directed by Costa-Gavras but I expected more rather than a reminder of previous films dealing with a similar subject matter that did it better.Mad City has star power but low wattage.

Mad City (1997): Dir: Constantin Costa Gavras / Cast: John Travolta, Dustin Hoffman, Mia Kershner, Alan Alda, Ted Levine: Miserable little item that deserves to be tossed in a fireplace. It regards hysteria created by media about events that they know absolutely nothing about. Dustin Hoffman plays a news anchorman who is inside a museum when John Travolta holds several children and a few adults hostage. He was recently laid off as a security guard at the museum unable to provide for his family. Hoffman wishes to help and even arranges an interview where Travolta voices regrets with regards to an injured security guard. Typical setup travels formula before arriving at an ultra cheap ending. Director Constantin Costa Gavras throws in a lame rap song about the injured security guard, which plays as really bad mishandled humour. Why not throw in a few funny Jay Leno monologues while we're at it? Hoffman is a terrific actor but even he cannot bring dignity to this piece of sh*t. All he can do is wait until the idiot conclusion hits. Travolta falls into overacting as he expresses regret over a complete idiotic action on his part. Also features uninspiring work by Mia Kershner and Alan Alda who do their best to frig up Hoffman's story to their brand of corruption. It regards media meddling at its most annoying and its delivery could drive a person mad. Score: 1 / 10