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 Benjamin	...	Dabu
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:

female butt clench | russian | concert | widow | sequel | 

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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

Details

Official Sites:

MGM [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

4 March 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tómalo con calma

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, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$56,046,979

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$95,226,116

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:

2.40 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Sin LaSalle (Cedric the Entertainer) goes to call Raji (Vince Vaughn) after the threatening "prank" call, we get to see two of the numbers in Sin's cell phone directory. One is R. Lowenthal (Raji), the other is G. Gray, a reference to Director F. Gary Gray.

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Goofs

When Chili comes down stairs at Edie's house, Sin mistakenly quotes "Knockin on Heaven's Door": "that cold black cloud is coming down ". The correct lyrics are "That long black cloud is coming down."

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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

Referenced in Reel Comedy: Be Cool (2005)

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Soundtracks

Ain't No Reason
Written by Rich Harrison, Harold Lilly, Alicia Keys, Taneisha Greenidge
Performed by Christina Milian
Produced by Rich Harrison and Cory Rooney
Christina Milian appears courtesy of The Island Def Jam Music Group

User Reviews

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.