McConaugheMay Day 21: Paparazzi
You know, sometimes you can just see a better version of a film as you're watching it. There's a version of Paparazzi that's a little bit more complicated around the strange world of celebrity culture, around anonymity, around male revenge fantasies and what they actually mean outside of the narratives they exist in. One could probably do a lot with the story of an action star hounded by paparazzi who thinks his only justifiable response to that harassment is found in the same schlocky, meaty action as the film he's currently shooting.
This isn't it.
Directed by Mel Gibson’s hair stylist, Paul Abascal (who did not go on to fame and fortune after this film) and starring later-Yellowstone star Cole Hauser, this is a meathead action film about an newly christened movie star who finds his safety, and the safety of his family, threatened by a group of scummy paparazzis led by character actor Tom Sizemore. The trashy premise has all the craft of a thriller novel you’d buy at the airport and throw away after the flight ends. In fact, the movie is almost a parable in how star Bo Laramie is a humble, hard-working guy who never wanted all this fame and was never even all that violent to anyone that wouldn't threaten his beautiful blonde baby boy (and never violent toward those who don't deserve it!). Tom Sizemore’s character is not just a sociopathic paparazzo, but also a rapist that leads a crew of low-lifes who put a kid into a coma and then threaten to murder him. There is good, saint-like Bo, driven to justifiable revenge only after being tested (and even then, doesn't actually commit violence until the very last act), and the evil photogs who tried to destroy his life.
Produced by Mel Gibson who offers a cameo to boot. I was curious where in the timeline this fell in terms of his insane racist rant, but looks like it was a few years before. Perhaps he just knew that his time was coming where he would be caught by TMZ doing something awful.
Despite the film’s failures, it did make me think of a paparazzo I would see while working for the porn mogul-turned-olive-oil-salesman at the farmers market in Studio City. He was a old guy with long, greasy hair and a massive goiter on his neck, and he smiled a cruel smile every time he snapped a photo of Jason Schwartzman buying jicama or whatever was purchasing. I think there is a certain vestige of envious cruelty that some paparazzi have, and a more thoughtful movie might capture that while contrasting it against the narcissism it takes to want to be famous even when it might put your family at risk.
Still, one bright spot that I really enjoyed was how badly they obviously wanted Peter Falk to play Columbo again, and when they couldn't get him, went with Dennis Farina (who does a solid Columbo impression!). They chicken out at the end by not letting him Columbo Bo (sorry to spoil the film, but Bo’s righteous act of murder goes unpunished), but anyone could see the movie’s ending coming a mile away. Also of interest is Faux-Columbo mentioning that Tom Sizemore's gang were able to blackmail Alec Baldwin from some cash, and one of the crew is played by Alec’s brother William Baldwin (looking a LOT like Alec would later look in 30 Rock). Lot to consider there.
Matthew McConaughey shows up in this at the very end, playing himself. Ludicrous cameo. Purposeless. I was deeply confused about why he was in the movie at all until I listened to the audio book version of Green Lights. It turns out that he and Hauser are longtime friends, so presumably he appeared just to put another name in the credits to give his friend a boost. How considerate.