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By:
JBR
Action films need not have stories stretching over years. Events that happen over a few hours and days are enough. Films that belong to this genre are that of Sylvester Stallone's 'First Blood,' Keanu Reeves' 'Speed,' Bruce Willis' 'Die Hard' and recently released films that thrilled the audience like 'Cellular' and 'Phone Booth.' Now ranked among them is the film Richard Donner directed '16 Blocks.'
A job is entrusted to Jack Mosely, the New York cop at 8 in the morning. He has to deliver an accused to the court just 16 blocks away by 10. He had just 118 minutes to carry out this job.
Richard Donner has directed a thrilling experience for 104 minutes to show if Jack Mosely is able to carry out this task. Barring the first and the last 5 minutes, the entire film portrays thrilling events.
The cop Jack Mosley is an aging man. He has a limp in one leg. He is also given to drinking. Bruce Willis has done this complicated role with such ease. Though he had done a similar policeman's role in 'Mercury Rising' the role of Jack Mosely has its own individuality.
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Mos Def acts in the role of Eddie Bunker the accused. He is not a chatterbox as the Chris Tucker character in the film 'Rush Hour' and that is a great relief.
The story of this film is written by Richard Wenk. On Bruce Willis escorting Mos Def to the court, an attempt is made on Mos Def's life. Taking shelter in a nearby bar, Bruce Willis contacts his police colleagues. When his colleagues reach the bar, the shock begins.
The accused Mos Def is also an eyewitness to a crime. The people who perpetrated that crime was Bruce Willis' police colleagues. Thinking that the witness's statement would go against them, they arranged for his murder. One of Bruce Willis' colleagues, Frank Nugent (David Morse) asks Bruce Willis to get away from the scene. He says that it would be reported that Mos Def had overpowered Bruce Willis and had taken custody of him and that they had to shoot him to get Bruce Willis released. Not agreeing with his colleague, Bruce Willis shoots him and gets away along with Mos Def.
To escape from his colleagues, Bruce Willis takes hostage of passengers from a bus. Mos Def is shot at when he tried to escape from the bus. In spite of it, Bruce Willis rescues him and arranges for him to escape to Seattle. Finally, he makes everyone understand by playing a recording of the voice of his colleague David Morse.
Bruce Willis' role in the film reflects many facets. Specially people who have committed a crime and want to redeem themselves! Such characters are seen often in recent Hollywood films. In the film 'Crash' that won the Oscars, the policeman who misbehaves with a Jewish couple tries to save their life by sacrificing his life in another situation. In this film also Bruce Willis relates to Mos Def the crimes he had committed along with his colleagues. Moreover Bruce Willis tells him that Mos Def would be making a witness statement that may go against him too along with his colleagues. The untold story of the film is that the past crimes of Bruce Willis also are driving him to save Mos Def's life.
Bruce Willis has employed his own style in the action scenes. When Most Def is attacked while sitting in Bruce Willis' car, Bruce Willis shoots the attacker. Our own action heroes have to learn something from his stance holding the gun in the left hand. Bruce Willis is teaching lessons on how to handle guns like other films.
Mos Def's character again is interesting. When he is being taken to the court, begins Most Def's talk. Grieving that he had not yet got back his gray coat, Mos Def is carrying a notebook. In it are noted several recipes for cake making. It was his ambition to start a bakery on his own. He has put his money safely with the Port Authority. Only problem with that is the contents of the lockers are changed every 24 hours. Mos Def can get hold of his money only if he could go there immediately after making his witness statement in the court. Any delay would erase his ambition of his own bakery along with the money.
With all these problems, Mos Def talks non-stop. On the way to the court, Mos Def tells a puzzle to Bruce Willis. You are going in a car. There are 3 people standing in the bus stop. One is an old woman fighting for her life. The other is a friend who saved your life. The third is a beautiful young lady. Your car can take only three people. Whom would you give a lift to?
Mos also asks this question to an old Chinese when he hides in his apartment after escaping from the police.
Mos talks to a young Chinese girl in the bus when they take the passengers into hostage. After asking her name and age, Mos displays the recipes of making birthday cakes from his notebook. Then he declares that it is his birthday. As this emotional interaction is happening, it is interesting to note that the bus is surrounded by the police ready to catch Mos and Willis.
Thinking that the doctor who is caring for his wound is the wife of Bruce Willis, Mos talks in praise of Bruce Willis and appeals to her for giving another chance to Willis. When Bruce Willis corrects him that the lady is his sister, Mos exclaims that he has just started trusting Bruce Willis and he had to demolish it. That scene beautifully brings out his caring nature. In the bus when he declares that it is his birthday only to soothe the scared Chinese girl, Mos Def's character finds a favourable place in the viewer's heart.
The roles of the old Chinese and the young Chinese girl are to be noted. Denied by everyone, Mos Def and Bruce Willis are provided a hiding place only by the old Chinese. Even when severely wounded, Mos Def the American, tries to make the young Chinese girl happy.
It can be interpreted as the care that the Americans have started to show to the people of other countries in recent years.
Such scenes can also be seen in the film 'Inside Man.' In the aftermath of 9/11, a Sikh person mistaken for an Arabian, was shot dead.
In the film 'Inside Man' also, there is an event when a Sikh is mistaken for an Arabian and questioned and the Sikh has to explain how his headgear has something to do with his religion.
These two scenes make us think that these are the manifestations of the cautious care the Americans have for the people of other countries. Contrary to how the Chinese are depicted in this film, director Richard Donner has portrayed them as villains in 'Lethal Weapon.'
There is a surprise element about the film '16 Blocks.' The reviews of this film have compared Richard Donner's other films like 'The Omen,' 'Lethal Weapon,' 'Superman' and 'Conspiracy Theory' and commented that the film lacked action and pace, but has disregarded the background to the conversations. At the end of the film, after 2 years Mos Def sends a cake to Bruce Willis on his birthday along with a note. In the note he says that he has opened his own bakery in Seattle that is known as Eddie & Jack Good Sign Bakery and humorously mentions that the bakery has his name first as he is doing most of the work himself.
Finally, do you know the answer to the puzzle that Mos Def tells Bruce Willis? Bruce tells the answer to Mos Def when he sends him off to Seattle.
He says that he will hand over the key to his friend and ask him to drop the old woman in the hospital and he himself will join the beautiful girl and spend time at the bus stop itself.
Just like the puzzle, the film also has a happy ending.
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-29.09.2006
