Posted: 11/26/2006

Déjà Vu

(2006)

by Tony Liccardello

Who knew that the Tony Scott-Denzel Washington combination would be so…awesome? First, we got Man on Fire, and now Déjà Vu, a pulse-pounding thriller of definite originality. Throw in producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and you know stuff is going to blow up.

The story starts off with a Bruckheimer trademark, a massive explosion. Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) is a brilliant ATF agent who gets called onto the scene when a bomb rocks a ferry in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. The blast kills over 500 people, including sailors and their families. Carlin has a gift for breaking down crimes scenes, and quickly establishes the when and much of the how. But when he discovers a badly burnt corpse has ended up on shore an hour before the bombing, the investigation takes a U-turn. Why was Claire Kuchever (the dead body) washed up on shore before the bomb went off?

After Carlin’s partner goes AWOL, Agent Pryzwarra (Val Kilmer) recruits Carlin to instead be part of a special task force hired to help solve the bombing. They show him a new technology they has developed, which in turn is used to gather evidence on who is ultimately responsible. The technology lets them view the past, four days from present, in a virtual live feed. The catch is, they don’t know where to look, so it becomes a race against time solve the mystery.

The story is full of twists and turns, and the pacing is quick enough to seem far shorter than its 126-minute running time. The technology, while confusing, becomes the centerpiece of the story. In a particularly nerve-wracking scene, Carlin goes on a car chase, while viewing the past through a mechanical eyepiece device, yet he remains in the present. So, in essence, he is chasing a car’s path four days ago while trying to dodge vehicles in the present. It is insane and ridiculous but makes for great entertainment. It is hard not have a smile on your face during sequences such as these.

The action scenes are skillfully crafted, as Tony Scott is a veteran in this territory. The camera work and visual style are far different than his previous two films, Domino and Man on Fire—but that’s a positive aspect, considering those films’ stylistic choices would not have been appropriate nor necessary here.

One has to look past the implausibility of this film to enjoy it. Much like the impracticality in Back to the Future in which the DeLorean is fueled with actual garbage, this story has its share of sci-fi stretches. The technology developed allows these characters to virtually recreate the past. The restraint is that they are only allowed to view four days ago. It is viewed in a continuous, live-type setting, and they can digitally recreate any area, allowing a camera to have limitless viewpoints. It sounds ridiculous but is highly entertaining to watch. However, if you don’t like what you just read, then you probably won’t like this film.

What more can you really ask for? It is fast-paced, slick and innovative. The original, high-concept premise keeps you glued to the screen the entire way, and it has a quality cast to boot. But it isn’t a realistic or gritty story like Man on Fire, so don’t expect that. Déjà Vu is a great popcorn action flick. And like Stone Cold says, that is the bottom line.

Grade: 4 stars out of 5

Tony Liccardello is a filmmaker and film critic living in Chicago.

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