'Basic' : a Review of My Favorite Movie

'Basic', a taut thriller that is set in the Central American country of Panama, is prbably one of the most ingenious mystery/thrillers that has ever been conceived upon the silver screen. Now, most people may disagree with me in this, as there are many other classics that have met the same criterium over the years and have graced the shelves of many a movie collector and watcher. Such films could be Humphrey Bogart's 'The Maltese Falcon' and 'The Big Sleep', where he played tough-as-nails detective Same Spade. Then we cannot forget other great sleuths of the past, such as Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, and others that have graced our eyes (* Jack Klugman's portrayal of NBC's 'Quincy, M.E.' was a personal favorite of mine). But before I digress, what to me makes this film so unique is the way that the story is interweaved with a complexity that far outreaches anything that the suspense thrillers of the past and present done as of late.

For those that have the ideal thought of the suspense thriller, there are many classifications, such as erotic, supernatural, and so forth. 'Basic' runs the thriller aground with an acute sense of the unknown, as there are so many of the pieces of the puzzle that may seem obvious, but always have a little more below the surface as the viewer is drawn into a sort of surreal re-enactment of what has actually happened, and it is taken from many different descriptions from many different players that were involved in the incident, and when you finall reach the end, you are left breathless from the undertaking as the film is not as 'basic' as it sounds.

Our story begins on a training exercise in the middle of the Panamanian jungle where a group of Army Rangers in-training soon begin shooting at each other for no apparent reason begin firing on each other, with some being killed and others badly wounded. On the case is disenchanted DEA Agent John Hardy (* played by John Travolta), who has bene in Panama for six months attemtpting to find leads on a large drug cartel that may be running narcotics into the United States from the area. But, his superiors back home think he is 'ont the take' with the same cartel and soon finds himself suspended for an undetermined amount of time while the DEA investigates further. Working alone in the small country in order to clear his name, Hardy soon finds himself embroiled in another case after he receives a call from his former commanding officer (* played by Tim Daly of 'Wings' fame), who has a series of unexplained murders on his hands and only a few witnesses who are left alive from the training incident who may be able to clear things up One is a prospect by the name of Pvt Saunders (* played by Brian Van Holt- 'Black Hawk Down'), who is refusing to talk unless he sees an attorney, and the homosexual son of a prominent general (* played by Giovanni Ribisi), who is laid up in the infirmery with several gunshot wounds who also holds a great deal of secrets of his own as to how the whole incident happened. Hardy, who is a former Army Ranger himself, attempts to get out of the case only to find himself being drawn in after it is revelead that the major person who was killed during the accident was his former training officer (* played by Samuel L. Jackson), a sadistic sergeant who took pleasure in the pain and suffering of his recruits as he puts them through their paces during a ritual known as 'Green Hell', a days-long trek that tests their over-all mental and physical endurance in order to be Rangers. But, as he investigates further he finds that there is more that is happening that has first been thought, and with the help of an Army interrogator (* played by Connie Nielsen), Hardy only knows that there has been rumours of 'spooks' (* Black Operation operatives) that are running drugs for the cartels in the area, and the muders occurred because these recruits themselves may have been the mules that were doing the transporting of the drugs.

Where the real plot ensues in when Hardy and his partner begin interrogations of several members on the base, and each one has a different story to tell and the two investigators soon have to sift through what is the truth and what may be an illusion or an interpretation of the truth.

While there may have been films made currently that follow this formula (*'High Crimes', 'Vantage Point', 'The Usual Suspects' just to name a few), ''Basic was the first of its kind where it boggled the mind with all of the information that was contained. The clues to the truth are very subtle, and if you miss one piece of information in something that was said of a flashback, it tended to still leave the viewer wondering what it was that was trying to be conveyed. It was a mystery wrapped around an enigma, and with each passing second, it felt like it was tangling around my throat waiting to strangle. Travolta and Jackson's memorable performances in this film left me almost speechless, and even as both are knowin gofr performeing as good guys and bad guys both, the chemistry that these two celebrities brought o this film was unparalleled.

This what I term as a 'thinking man's thriller', as the film would provide you with enough evidence to come to a logical conclusion it would then throw in another new factor. The truth lines soon become blurred and it becomes increasingly more difficult to dtermine what the actual truth is. The veiwer sees good men go to the point of also being evil, neutral men who soon become catalysts into finding more leads that may lead to the truth and so forth, and witnesses and sources whose good natures soon become corrupted at the drop of hat, leaving the viewer even more speechless and more in the dark as to what exactly what is going on.

'Basic' is the thriller's thriller in my opinion, as it has so much to offer. It contains a stellar all-star cast, a storyline that is believeable, original, and also at times slightly frustrating while the viewer is watching the film. But, above all else, the fact that this film has lived in relative obscurity alone is a reason enoguh to watch. many of whom I had told about the film in the past had never even heard of the film, and it sstory and cast alone, in my opinion, should have been enough to have at least earned an Oscar nod for the screenwriter as well as Travolta nd Jackson's performances. Alas, this is usually the way that great films die and are left to the obscure fans who love the film to enjoy it for at least its cult following.

If you would like to check out this film, here are a few great places to look:

www.blockbuster.com : This film is available for rental and I am sure that it would also be easy to order it as well through their online store!

www.amazon.com : Amazon is a premier source for movies, book, cd's, you name it!

www.netflix.com : netflix, along with being a good movie rental site, also has an online store, and if they don't have it on the list, they might be able to get it for you!

www.columbiahouse.com : Another great place. These guys have everything!

So, if you love a good mystery with lots of twists and turns, 'Basic' is a must-see and a must-own!