It's always nice to see an actor playing a part that suits
their age rather than attempt something they are far too old for. I recently
found it difficult to accept Sharon Stone playing an investigative reporter in
BORDER RUN because the role was definitely something an actress in her late 20s
or early 30s should have been playing. So when I heard that Robert DeNiro was
going to be playing a vet of the Bosnian war in KILLING SEASON I was wondering
how it would play out. Fortunately it comes off pretty well.
DeNiro plays Benjamin Ford, an ex-military man who now
resides in a cabin in the woods. While we aren't quite sure why he chooses to
live out away from people we know there is a reason. Called by his son to
attend his grandson's baptism, Ford turns down the offer choosing instead to
remain secluded at home.
At the same time we're introduced to Emil Kovac (John
Travolta), a Serb who is intent on tracking down Ford. As the movie opened we
witnessed a group of Serbian soldiers being executed by U.S. military
personnel. It's safe to assume Ford was in this group. But why, if they were
executed, would Kovac be seeking him out? Revenge for himself? For family? Only
time will tell.
As the film progresses we see Ford having problems with an old
war wound, running out of aspirin and heading for town to buy some. Along the
way he runs into a hiker walking along the road about the same time his jeep
conks out on him. The hiker is, of course, Kovac. He helps Ford get the jeep
started again and after heading the other direction in the rain, Ford turns
around and offers him a place to stay for the night at his cabin.
The two sit down to dinner and drinks, Kovac having brought
along a bottle of Jagermeister. As the liquor loosens their tongues the two
share their thoughts of battles past and of their own personal histories. While
Kovac pretends to know only what he's read about war Ford lets him know in no
uncertain terms that there is much horror to be found there, that it isn't the
glorious warrior way so many depict it as. When all is said and done they turn
in with plans to hunt the next day.
During this hunting trip things change. Both men are armed
with bow and arrow combinations but its photography that interests Ford now.
That is until an arrow goes whizzing past him, narrowly striking him in the
head. Kovac reveals his true mission for being there, to take down Ford for
what happened in the past (which I won't reveal here).
The pair struggle through the woods back and forth, one
having the advantage over the other and then switching as circumstances change
things. Through it all they continue to talk about the horrors of war and what
it means to those who fought in them. Just who will survive this confrontation
in the woods isn't revealed until the end of the film.
As I said, it was nice to see DeNiro playing a role that
could actually suit his age. Had he been in the Bosnian War he would have been
in his 50s and how he looks now he could have been in his 40s. As a career
military man that's possible. His character is one who is tormented by his
past, what he saw and what he participated in. Here we are 18 years later and
he still hasn't come to terms with that. That makes for the subtle parts of the
character he plays here.
Travolta also fits the age bracket for this role. Sporting a
semi-beard and a thick accent, he pulls off the role of Kovac with ease. There
are many who would say that Travolta was just a pretty boy in most of his roles
but they would be doing him a disservice. He brings a depth to Kovac that
proves he is quite capable of bringing something to a role that some refuse to
see. He's a much better actor than given credit for and proves so here.
KILLING SEASON offers a combination of story and action that
holds your interest from start to finish. You want to find out what the back
story is, you want to know if Kovac is seeking justice or revenge, you want to
know just what has twisted Ford's head for these 18 years and if he will
change. The movie may not be Oscar material but it does offer a nice
combination of entertainment and thought provoking story that makes it worth
watching.
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