Sex sells. A simple statement that's completely true. You can't turn on the television without seeing scantily clad women or flip on the radio and not hear carefully placed innuendo. Print advertisements are full of both subliminal messages and blatant images. Sex sells, and a prime example of that is Brett Ratner's new movie, "After the Sunset."
"Sunset" stars Pierce Brosnan (of James Bond fame) as cool, suave master thief Max Burdett, the king of alibis. Along with his sexy girlfriend, Lola (Salma Hayek), the two have made a reputation for pilfering the best diamonds.
After escaping the FBI, Max and Lola decide to retire on beautiful Paradise Island. But their plans of blissful retirement are interrupted when FBI agent Stan Lloyd (Woody Harrelson) shows up on their doorstep. Lloyd has spent years trying unsuccessfully to catch the thieves, but Max and Lola have always been 10 steps ahead of him. This time, Stan seems to be in the know.
The third Napoleon diamond is in a museum aboard a cruise ship that will soon dock in a port on Paradise Island, and Stan is convinced the two thieves are after it, as Max and Lola have already stolen the other two. Stan teams up with feisty local cop Sophie (Naomie Harris) to bring down his nemeses once and for all. And when Max's temptation gets the better of him, he has to concoct the ultimate scheme to get the diamond and keep the girl. But local gangster Henri Moore (Don Cheadle) has other plans for Max and the diamond.
The movie is actually pretty good. If viewers are expecting pure entertainment, they won't be disappointed. It isn't the type of movie anyone would see for its artistry, but it certainly isn't bad. The elements needed for an amusing, enjoyable flick are all there, but there's nothing stunning about its cinematography or script, and the plot has a few holes. The character background is shaky, but funny.
Viewers may find themselves laughing at the antics of Stan and Max, who become quite good friends in their attempts to throw each other off. They take a fishing trip together, and later, when Lola throws Max out of the house, he winds up in Stan's bed (and, of course, they're found).
The chemistry between Stan and Sophie is also great. They are perfect opposites of each other in some ways, yet still very similar in other ways. Lola and Sophie also have an amusing relationship, both depicting the stereotype of a wife of a man on the job. The two are supposed to be enemies, yet bond over the fact that their boyfriends are obsessed with their jobs, and that they are both women (they compare guns and designer shoes).
Brett Ratner, who directed "Rush Hour" and "Red Dragon," seems to be poking fun at thief-genre movies. The plot twists are almost too outrageous and too planned and are more of a satire than anything serious. The characters are too clich?d and more caricatures than anything else. Ratner makes the audience believe that he is employing commonly used shots that every moviegoer has always seen, but then shakes it up by parodying it. For example, he uses flashback and foreshadowing very obviously, in a teasing way.
Ratner also cuts back and forth as the guys are trying to win back the opposite girl for each one, as if the two scenes were happening simultaneously in two different places, when the four are actually sitting next to each other.
When Max goes for the diamond, the movie makes fun of over-stylized theft too. They cut the wrong wire to shut off the video surveillance and, in order to fool Lola (because she doesn't know he's going after the diamond) Max leaves a decoy. Lola and Max also seem to be far ahead of Stan. They know all of his tricks and how to counteract them, emphasized by when they joke with him over his planted bug. But the movie works.
Also, there is no question that the photography in "Sunset" is beautiful. The locations are gorgeous, with sunsets galore, rich colors and attractive people. There are sweeping shots over the bluest oceans and a house definitely fit for a pair of rich thieves.
Those views also provide the excuse to get the actors into revealing outfits -because sex sells. Hayek, as always, is stunning and the movie makes ample use of her endowments. The camera makes a point of focusing on her breasts, which are always a little too large for her top. For some reason, Lola feels the need to build a deck in a skimpy bikini top and overalls.
Brosnan and Harrelson spend much of the movie without shirts in order to show that men past their 30s or even 40s can still be sexy. Max and Lola can't seem to keep their hands off each other and find every excuse to have sex. It is also the perfect way for Lola to distract Max from temptation: "It's a beautiful jewel, Max, but I guarantee it's no fun in the tub."
In the end, the film is not supposed to be an art revolution. It is supposed to be a general thief film that, on its way, happens to be a little funnier than all the other ones. This film is great for anyone who wants a little bit of fluff. You want revolutionary? See "The Incredibles" or "Saw" or something. But if you want something fun that allows your mind to melt for a few hours, see "After the Sunset"
