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Title: Paparazzi (2004)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Cole Hauser | ... | Bo Laramie | |
| Robin Tunney | ... | Abby Laramie | |
| Dennis Farina | ... | Detective Burton | |
| Daniel Baldwin | ... | Wendell Stokes | |
| Tom Hollander | ... | Leonard Clark | |
| Kevin Gage | ... | Kevin Rosner | |
 |
Blake Michael Bryan | ... | Zach Laramie (as Blake Bryan) |
| Tom Sizemore | ... | Rex Harper | |
| Andrea Baker | ... | Emily | |
| Jordan Baker | ... | Dr. Kelley | |
| Joe Basile | ... | Police Lab Tech | |
| Lauren Birkell | ... | Allison | |
| Wendy Braun | ... | Bo's Publicist | |
| Kelly Carlson | ... | Kristin | |
|
|
Greg Castro | ... | Policeman |
Bo Laramie is a movie star who has finally achieved success. But success comes at a price, in the form of four persistent photographers known as the paparazzi. Using their dishonest methods of getting the money shot regardless of what it takes, they'll stop at nothing in exploiting Bo for every last penny. But when one of their ventures nearly costs Bo's life and that of his family when they cause a car accident and do nothing afterwords except take photos, Bo has finally reached his breaking point. In doing so, Bo decides to exact a crafty and complex revenge on those four who have enjoyed making his life a living hell with his focus on the paparazzi's ring leader, Rex Harper. Written by monkeykingma
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I hate tabloid press as much as the next person. But I will be honest to you about how I feel about movie stars. It is a dishonest profession. I don't believe in actors getting paid $20 million for a single film and living in multiple mansions when harder working folks get nothing. But then you have to consider what the character of Bo Laramie says in this film. Perhaps every time someone takes your picture you lose a bit of your soul. Maybe the constant hassling of the press is only worth $20 million. Celebrities do rub it in our faces a bit too much about how much money they have. We are the ones that see their movies and buy their CDs. It's because of us that they have what they have right? And when we want a little bit of them back, when we want a little insight into their lives that ultimately, we, have helped create for them, they often bite back with attitude.
There is a line that is not to be crossed though. The odd picture here and there is more than enough. But as there are so many, many tabloid magazines out there, all with the same kind of single-word single-syllable title, the business has become very diluted and all of them are willing to buy the most mundane photos of celebs doing uninteresting things. Not only this, but they take it to rather perverted extremes and it baffles me that anyone could be at all interested in it. I've seen long-shots of celebs hanging around like any person ought to but with massive close-ups of sweaty armpits, circled for the benefit of anyone not enlightened to the point of the picture. Morbid close-ups of some celebrity's blouse revealing some milkshake she spilled a few hours earlier is just plain creepy. Sadly, there are thousands of parasites out there who are willing to fork over their hard-earned cash for such rags. I'll never understand the fascination.
Celebs are made out to be Gods of some kind. Something we all want to be but never can. Their teeth are perfect, their wives/husbands beautiful, their children beautiful, their homes are palaces and their lifestyles enviable. Most of us live our whole lives in jealousy of celebs. This is why we just want a little bit more back from them. They can afford it right? With all that money and 'power' a few pics here and there won't hurt will they? Well, I can't imagine myself liking it very much. And, considering the crap I've seen some celebs take, I personally don't think any of it's worth $20 million. Punching a Paparazzo in the face with my fist going through his camera first sounds like the best image of all in my opinion. Since a union of celebs is actually quite powerful, I do believe their wills be much, much tighter laws in the near future to curb Paparazzi. There's always some story of some actor taking a weaselly photographer to court.
Or you could do it the way Bo Laramie does.
Laramie (Cole Hauser) is a former Montana carpenter who has, by pure chance, become a star in Hollywood through various xXx-style action movies. The public loves him and wants more than he is willing to offer. His private life is constantly being invaded by those peeking in. But they are taking pictures too. Rex Harper (the very cool, but sadly self-destructive, Tom Sizemore) is one of those pesky photographers. And Laramie doesn't take too kindly to Harper taking pics of his son playing football. He responds by punching out Harper, only a group of his Paparazzi pals (including Danny-the best Baldwin, the psycho killer from Heat, and some highly annoying English guy you can't wait to see hanging from a tree) catch the whole thing on film and whore out their footage to the highest bidder.
Now with a personal vendetta between them a childish game is promptly brought to an end (or only just beginning) when they involve Laramie and his family in a Princess Diana-style car wreck. And instead of calling an ambulance, they take pictures of their bloody bodies. Sadly, it's not sounding far-fetched yet.
Having not learned from other's mistake Laramie is still hassled by the photographers and press and they continue to fabricate stories and bend (read utterly distort) the truth to line their own pockets. Little do they know Laramie is planning a Punisher-style revenge on the 4 dolts responsible for his tragedy.
Click on my reviews to find a coninuation of this criticism in another film of the same name as the IMDb only allows 1000 words.