Be Cool (2005)

Director:

F. Gary Gray

Writers (WGA):

Elmore Leonard (novel)
Peter Steinfeld (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 March 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

Everyone is looking for the next big hit

Plot:

Disenchanted with the movie industry, Chili Palmer (John Travolta) tries the music industry, meeting and romancing a widow of a music exec (Uma Thurman) on the way.

Plot Keywords:

Sequel | Widow | Music Business | Rapper | Bodyguard

Awards:

1 win & 10 nominations

Cast

John Travolta	...	Chili Palmer
Uma Thurman	...	Edie Athens
Vince Vaughn	...	Raji
Cedric the Entertainer	...	Sin LaSalle
André Benjamin	...	Dabu
Steven Tyler	...	Himself
Robert Pastorelli	...	Joe Loop
Christina Milian	...	Linda Moon
Paul Adelstein	...	Hy Gordon
Debi Mazar	...	Marla
Gregory Alan Williams	...	Darryl (as GregAlan Williams)
Harvey Keitel	...	Nick Carr
Dwayne Johnson	...	Elliot Wilhelm (as The Rock)
Danny DeVito	...	Martin Weir
James Woods	...	Tommy Athens

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, sensuality, and language including sexual references.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Taiwan:R-12 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Malaysia:18PL | Iceland:16 (video rating) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:12A | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Peru:PT | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40804) | Iceland:14

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The infamous monologue that Sin LaSalle delivered was neither in the novel nor in the early drafts of the script. The idea was put on by director F. Gary Gray who wanted Sin to be likable, but serious at the same time as well.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Towards the beginning of the movie when Chili Palmer and Tommy Athens are at the sidewalk coffee shop, there are two women sitting at the table directly behind Chili Palmer. In one shot, the woman closest to Chili Palmer cuts her food with her fork and brings her fork to her mouth to eat, but there is nothing on her fork.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Chili Palmer: I hate sequels.

Movie Connections:

References The Untouchables (1987)

Soundtrack:

Brand New Old Skool

Worth seeing

This is no "Get Shorty" but it's full of so much self-deprecating humor that you can't help but cut it a break. I laughed quite a few times, and there's a lot of fun moments. However, the film is a bit uneven. It's a comedy, but then, how funny is the Russian Mafia? The movie tries hard to find the humor in hit men and quirky characters, but it often seems to be trying a bit too hard. The movie is so crammed with celebrities that it's distracting and the parade of glitterati takes you outside the film more than once. It's less brutal than "Get Shorty" and the language is much milder, but it also lacks the freshness and irreverence that made "Get Shorty" so much fun. As sequels go, it's a pretty good movie, and John Travolta and others in the film are so obviously having a good time, it's impossible not to get into the groove. There are many charming performances, including The Rock and Andre 3000, both showing a real knack for comedy. Definitely worth a visit to the multiplex, as long as you keep your expectations in check.