Be Cool (2005)

Disenchanted with the movie industry, Chili Palmer tries the music industry, meeting and romancing a widow of a music executive on the way.

Director:

F. Gary Gray

Writers:

Elmore Leonard (novel), Peter Steinfeld (screenplay)

Stars:

John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Dwayne Johnson

1 win & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Travolta	...	Chili Palmer
Uma Thurman	...	Edie Athens
Vince Vaughn	...	Raji
Cedric the Entertainer	...	Sin LaSalle
André 3000	...	Dabu (as André Benjamin)
Steven Tyler	...	Steven Tyler
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

Storyline

Streetwise mobster-turned-movie producer Chili Palmer is back, but this time Chili has abandoned the fickle movie industry and veered into the music business, tangling with Russian mobsters and gangsta rappers and taking a talented, feisty young singer named Linda Moon under his wing. From the recording studio to an Aerosmith concert to the MTV Music Awards, he manipulates events to watch them play out the Chili way, using his signature blend of wiseguy skills and negotiation tactics. It's a dangerous business, and everyone's looking for their next big hit.

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Plot Keywords:

satire | satirical | singing girl | singer | sexy girl | 

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Taglines:

Everyone is looking for the next big hit

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

When speaking about a Honda Insight, Chili says, "It's the Cadillac of hybrids", an homage to the line, "It's the Cadillac of minivans" from Get Shorty (1995).

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Goofs

When Raji is talking to Nick Carr his silver chain is repeatedly in/out of his shirt between shots.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Chili Palmer: I hate sequels.

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Crazy Credits

In the closing credits, the various cast members are seen dancing, even the Russian "corpse".

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Connections

Spoofs Bring It On (2000)

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Soundtracks

Cryin'
Written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Taylor Rhodes
Performed by Aerosmith and Christina Milian
Produced by Marti Frederiksen
Christina Milian appears courtesy of The Island Def Jam Music Group

User Reviews

meh...

I'm a fan of Get Shorty. This is the sequel for the movie that needed no sequel.

Chili is back but Rene Russo is gone without a peep. Unfortunately Chili's game was played out in the first movie and rather than find an interesting personal arc for him, they just have him stand around repeating lines from the first movie. It's pretty tepid. Travolta looks old here. It's like they move people around him because his bones are getting creaky. His pink lip gloss and the blue eye contacts are very weird. The 2nd bad role is Edie (played by Uma Thurman). She's a music producer, a role that requires her only to be the female Reuben Kincaid. ("Hey these kids have a great new sound.") In any scene she strikes the wrong pitch motivationally or emotionally or both. It's painful to watch. Despite it's plentiful problems, Be Cool gets better after a very unpromising start.

I certainly got my laughs out of it (Vince Vaughan running around on fire, Cedric the Entertainer, Ludicrous, the Rock, a t-shirt that says "widow" on it), but it offers no great memories after it's over. It's a helium-light love fest from the first frame. There's no one as pricelessly idiotic as Gene Hackman in the first movie. It's just about doing good in the world, for a couple of kids who deserve a chance (Beyonce & the Rock). Ho-hum. The first one wasn't preachy.

Working in (repeatedly) gags & lines from the first movie is annoying as is the dumb concession to the Rock's wrestling fans (he raises his eyebrow twice) as are the droll inside jokes: Steven Tyler saying "I'm not the kind of singer that make appearances in movies" ar ar.

The all-star spectacular line-up is part of the problem. The first movie wasn't burdened by "stars."

For a buck rental let's call it even.

Details

Official Sites:

MGM [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

4 March 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Be Cool

Filming Locations:

Canter's Deli - 419 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$53,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$23,450,212, 6 March 2005

Gross USA:

$56,046,979

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$95,763,716

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Jersey Films, Double Feature Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1