Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 6, 1993 TAG: 9311060094
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: C12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
It begins with a man walking slowly through a cornfield. He carries a baby and holds a boy by the hand. When they find their way out of the field, we see that they've survived a plane crash. Wreckage and destruction are all around them. Moments later, we realize that something is different about this man, Max Klein (Jeff Bridges).
Beyond the conventional shock, he has been changed by the crash. What those changes mean and how they effect Max and the people around him are the central questions that writer Rafael Yglesias and director Peter Wier address. Has Max experienced a supernatural event, or is it more religious in nature? Or has his miraculous escape simply shown him the real value of the existence we all take for granted?
Whatever the case, in the following weeks Max seems to become incapable of lying. That certainly doesn't fit into the plans of his lawyer (Tom Hulce) who's looking for a big pay-off from the airline. Even the well-meaning therapist (John Turturro) who helps the survivors deal with their post-traumatic stress is uncomfortable around Max.
Max's wife Laura (Isabella Rossellini) doesn't know what to make of this new man, and she's certainly not enthusiastic about his sudden attachment to another survivor, Carla (Rosie Perez), whose son was killed in the crash.
Those are the bare bones of the plot but they tell you nothing of what "Fearless" is really trying to do.
At their best, Yglesias and Wier cut through the clutter and pointless nonsense that often seem so important. They're dealing realistically with characters who have to make the most important decisions about their lives and their beliefs. In those scenes, the film is real and compelling.
At their worst, the writer and director let the story wander in slow, pointless scenes that are more irritating than illuminating. And at the end, when they have to come to a conclusion, their choices won't please all audiences. That, of course, is inevitable.
In any case, the pluses far outweigh the minuses in "Fearless." The acting is excellent throughout, though Rossellini's role is the least sympathetic of the three leads. Bridges and Perez do Oscar-quality work with some incredibly difficult material. Their characters go through the full spectrum of human emotion, from the subtle to the uncontrollable, and they're always believable.
In the end, "Fearless" is one of those films that's likely to generate a lot of conversation and discussion. Despite its shortcomings, it will make viewers think and ask questions. For a Hollywood movie, those are remarkable accomplishments.
\ Fearless: *** A Warner Bros. release playing at the Salem Valley 8. 120 min. Rated R for strong language, some violence.
by CNB