|
THE BIG KAHUNA Send This Review to a Friend
The most arresting aspect of "The Big Kahuna" is the title, an odd one that should intrigue potential filmgoers. It refers to the big catch, an important executive who needs to be signed up in a defining moment for three businessman at a manufacturer's convention in Witchita. With actors Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito and Peter Facinelli, there are certainly some strong moments in the revealing dramatic fireworks that develop, but a pall lies over the film so that despite the breakthroughs the whole work seems static and far from powerful enough to make us care sufficiently about the characters under the miscroscope.
The deficiency probably stems mainly from the film being an adaptation of a play, "Hospitality Suite," by Roger Rueff, who also wrote the screenplay. The drama still seems like a play, and it might have been wiser to have someone else re-handle it for the screen. Director John Swanbeck, making his feature film debut, doesn't solve the problem. The setting is a hospitality suite taken by the company, which makes industrial lubricants, and the aim is to grease the path to the vital deal.
Kevin Spacey, a co-producer of the film, plays Larry, a brash, slick operator who is certain he knows how to succeed and runs roughshod over the others. Danny DeVito as Phil is awash in doubts about his life and his work. In contrast to both is Peter Facinelli as young, eager and self-righteous Bob. Trying to meet and snare the kahuna is the challenge, and the situation becomes overheated by the pressure and the respective personalities of the trio. This is one of those concentrated films that build to an emotional expose of the individuals involved, and we're supposed to be caught up in the outcome.
Fortunately, there is considerable humor, thanks mostly to the acerbic nature of Larry, played by Spacey with his customary flair. His frenetic demeanor is a bit like that of Hickey in O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh." On balance, the film proves to be more of an exercise for actors than a dynamic triumph. But all three men are certainly interesting to watch. A Lions Gate Films release.
|