Twisting tale thrills across ’16 Blocks’
Just south of the Gateway Theater in Salt Lake City, there’s a mural of the Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ album cover on the side of a building. Walking past it after screening ’16 Blocks’ was appropriate; both works revel in social symbolism. Yet this is a hybrid film where serious subtext coexists with racing action and comedy. A fan of action movies, I walked away happy and thoughtful from this one.
Bruce Willis stars as Jack Mosley, an old, tired, hung over New York City cop. He’s asked one morning to transport a prisoner to a nearby courthouse (about 16 blocks away) where that prisoner can give important testimony. The problem is that that testimony will incriminate many NYC policemen. What begins as a routine task turns into a nightmare as Mosley fights to get the prisoner to that courthouse.
The greatest delight of this film is Mos Def (slang for ‘most definitely’) in a breakthrough lead performance as Eddie Bunker, the prisoner who witnessed a police crime. Mos Def steals many scenes by infusing his character with eclectic mannerisms and nervous, ‘Rain Man’ -like speech patterns. This is his first big time leading role, and he takes a Johnny Depp-like chance in creating a very odd character. The risk pays off as Def proves he’s just as stellar an actor as he is a hip-hop artist.
Willis is also a marvel to watch, though Mosley is a variation of what we’ve seen before (see ‘Die Hard’). It’s a good variation, though. Rather than Willis’ charismatic cocky brashness, we have here a sad, slow moving Willis seemingly on the brink of total surrender. Symbolized by a Richard III-esque limp, Mosley is a bad seed beyond saving. “I’m not a good person,” he confesses. “I’m not either,” replies Bunker.
This is obviously not a yippee-ki-yay, upbeat action flick. The story takes itself seriously, packed with a subtext reacting to today’s socio-political atmosphere. Roughly five years after 9-11, events like the Enron scandal and political unaccountability have put many Americans in a state of authoritative distrust. Here’s a movie mirroring the times, or at least a perception of it, as authority figures are the bad guys who scramble to protect themselves at all costs.
Though the movie is a bit sad for my taste, I really liked it. Director Richard Donner (‘Goonies,’ ‘Lethal Weapon’) has orchestrated an engrossing, twisting tale with all film elements in harmony. Notice how the camera creates a claustrophobic, sweaty New York City, and how the sets are cluttered spaces as sordid as their inhabitants (the film was shot in NYC and Toronto, Canada).
So here we have a textured, symbolic popcorn flick. ’16 Blocks’ is my favorite kind of movie; one that can be enjoyed at a basic level while thought-provoking for those with ears to hear. This is the first great thriller of 2006.
Chris Blakesley is a film critic for the Utah Statesman. Comments can be sent to him at
cblakes@cc.usu.edu.