By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
Jason Statham tries working with a top-notch director and a surprisingly strong supporting cast in a film based on an acclaimed series of caper novels, and winds up falling flat in the most surprising of ways.
"Parker" plays like the bloodiest promotional video ever made for Palm Beach tourism. Stabbings, explosions and furniture-smashing brawls occur at some of the ritziest (and name-checked) locations within the sun-splashed, pastel-soaked slab of Florida opulence. Kinda gives a whole new meaning to the idea of The Breakers.
"Parker" _ This plays like the bloodiest promotional video ever made for Palm Beach tourism. Stabbings, explosions and furniture-smashing brawls occur at some of the ritziest locations within the sun-splashed, pastel-soaked slab of Florida opulence. The city is the setting for a $50 million jewel heist as well as some revenge doled out with the usual machine-like efficiency by Jason Statham. As the title character, the anti-hero of many of the novels by Richard Stark (the pseudonym of the late Donald E. Westlake), Statham is stepping into a well-known persona. But he's not exactly pushing himself outside his comfort zone. Parker is the kind of thief who lives by a civilized, self-imposed code _ one he expects others to adhere to, as well. But this is the same character Statham always plays: quietly cool, dryly British, powerfully lethal. Director Taylor Hackford's rather perfunctory action film is actually more compelling before it even gets to Palm Beach, as Parker makes his way from Ohio to Texas to New Orleans before reaching his final destination. After being double-crossed by his partners (including Michael Chiklis and Wendell Pierce) on a daring robbery of the Ohio State Fair, Parker seeks revenge by tailing them to their next job: hitting the auction of some major jewels that belonged to a late society maven. Jennifer Lopez co-stars as the struggling Palm Beach real estate agent who learns too much and wants a piece of the action, but playing weak and girlish isn't exactly her strong suit. R for strong violence, language throughout and brief sexual content/nudity. 118 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.
When you read in a book that the copyright is held by "the estate of," you can be pretty sure you won't be seeing any more books by that author. That's what the folks at Titan thought when they published Donald E. Westlake's "Memory" two years ago.
Les Pockell, a publishing executive and literary anthologist known for his deep and unpredictable intellect and an equally eclectic range of book projects, has died. He was 68.
Les Pockell, a publishing executive and literary anthologist known for his deep and unpredictable intellect and an equally eclectic range of book projects, has died. He was 68.
