The General's Daughter

Rating:
Summary: I've seen better
Review: It's suspensful enough, but really didn't grasp my attention. Travolta was good, as usual, except for his southern accent. I also found the story hard to follow until I went back and watched it the second time. I was say judge for yourself, but it's not one of my favorites.

Rating:
Summary: Clumsy
Review: Messrs Travolta and Stowe give their all steering the good ship Whiplash to Port Tenshus in this repulsive stinker. It's comforting to know that the military is happy for several dangerous, psychologically disturbed soldiers to remain in the field. Two soldiers who sadly fail to make this top ten also fail to notice that they are made for each other, both being sexual obsessives with a death wish. The leadership is either insane or loyal to the insane to the point of insanity. The film's military code is simple to follow. When in doubt, kill something or better still, kill yourself. Be insubordinate at all times when not actually raping anything that disagrees with you (except lunch, that would be too gross even for this movie.) When off duty from raping and killing try to have violent sex as much as possible. If someone refuses you violent sex, kill them. Keep abreast of scientific developments as this may one day prevent you from following the military code. By all means follow the Hippocratic oath. When all else fails, simply be James Woods. But being James Wood won't necessarily save you from having to follow the prime directive. Also don't forget to smoke a lot.
Fans of the nauseatingly earnest final salute need only click on the above image to bust their guts once more.

Rating:
Summary: THE MILITARY ACCORDING TO HOLLYWOOD
Review: I'd bet my soul whoever participated in making this biggoted film never actually served in the military. While there is a strong vein of mysogynism in the military, portaying women serving in the military as sheep among wolves as this film does is nothing more than Hollywood's usual, negative, grossly inaccuate stereo-typing of military society. Except this time, besides the usual portayal of military men as homicidal morons, The General's Daughter creatively adds that many men in the military are compulsive rapists as well. Having served my Navy stint as a corpsman ( medic) and unlike the people who made this movie, I can say from experience that the women in the military are just as sexually agressive as the men. It wasn't because of mass rape that half the of the female sailors serving on ships in the Persian Gulf during the Gulf War came back pregnant. As for women being unwanted onboard ships or in barracks, common sense tells us that we won't find many male marines, sailors, airmen, or soldiers complaining about their presence (If you ever did a 6 month deployment onboard a ship, you'd agree with me.) And incidents like Tailhook and Aberdeen are not examples of proof to the contrary considering that hundreds of thousands serve in one uniform or another and both Tailhook and Aberdeen ivolved no more than a hundred people; therefore, those two incidents are obviously not an example of the military as a whole. So in the end, all that can be ultimately said of this film is that it only serves as still yet another sterling illustration of how Hollywood's p.c. perceptions and propaganda have no basis in reality. Rather than making judgemental social statements for which it lacks the intellectual capacity to do well, Hollywood should just stick to such brainless efforts as vapid action movies and redundant romantic comedies. Being that most movie studios can't even do those well anymore, they should leave the creation of thought-provoking drama to those who actually might know what they're talking about.

Rating:
Summary: This movie provokes the view
Review: When you see such a polarisation of opinions on a book or a film, you actually see a good work because it is making people think. This movie does that and yes, provokes violent extremes in how people perceive it.

Yeah, John's accent [stinks] big time, but he gives one of the best performances of his career. Stowe is always beautiful to watch, an elegant actress that be oh so feminine and yet have a strong will and a mind of her own. She shines in a role that often gives her little to work with speaking of her radiant talent. Timothy Hutton is as always, a superb actor (Tim your Daddy would be very proud of you!!) James Woods - what can you say - you love him or you hate him, but he is one of the best around and he gives a moving performance and the person with the secrets Travolta needs. James Cromwell is finally getting the recognition and the roles he deserves and does his very best in another unlikeable role, bringing it little nuances of a man caught between loving his daughter and the higher calling of military honour.

This movie does not show the military and its treatment of its female members in a good light bringing back many such stories we have seen through the years on evening news, maybe with such graphically grim - almost claustrophobic feel that it will cause some people to dislike the film for that alone, especially in today's climate of the world.

But is a gripping, on the edge film, that does not take the easy road, but delivers a powerful punch...maybe too powerful for some.

Rating:
Summary: A morbid and foolish film with good acting.
Review: Hmmm, let me rethink my thoughts on this film. It is dark, perverse, and has no focus, even though they try to sell on an anti-rape agenda. As if to say, "People, stop raping! Enough's enough already!" I know this terrible crime happens daily in the USA, but really, do we actually believe this was the point of the film as the end credits so eagerly try to portray. I think not.

During our little field trip into the General's Daughter, we get to see a gal, who we can't help but feel pitty for, stripped naked at least three times, tied to some tent pegs on two different occasions, and systematically raped in one very long, very drawn out scene. Sound like fun? Sure, if you're Adolph Hitler.

As for the rest of us, we had to endure a film in which Travolta, trying so earnestly to sound like a southern gentlemen in this one, is investigating the death of a naked woman, tied down to tent pegs.......

Of course, there is a twist in this one. We find out some very odd things about the newly deceased, such as her bizarre fetish for erotic sex. Also, we learn that she once was raped, by a group of fellow soldiers. And so the plot thickens and we're left madly trying to get the previous scenes out of our heads.

This film is not a tear jerker, nor is it a fun filled family adventure. It is, however, a depressing stop on the road to Hollywood False Agenda Hell. The soundtrack, by Carter Burwell, is one of the bright spots in this otherwise dark and overbearing film.

Rating:
Summary: A well-acted crime thriller
Review: In "The General's Daughter," directed by Simon West, John Travolta plays Warrant Officer Paul Brenner, an Army investigator. He and a fellow officer (Madeleine Stowe) team up to investigate a high profile murder on an Army base. Their quest for the truth leads them into some twisted pathways of sex, power, and secrecy.

This film is a genuinely gripping crime thriller. Director West maintains effective tension, and the performances are outstanding. Travolta brings an appealing mix of strength and sensitivity to his soldier-cop, and Stowe is also wholly credible as his sharp-minded partner. The supporting cast is stellar, but I was particularly impressed by James Woods' raw-nerve performance as an army officer who may be hiding a secret.

The one aspect of the film that doesn't work is the brief romantic bickering of the two main characters; to me it was out of place and merely detracted from the main story. What I did find compelling was the film's effective portrayal of the military as a complex subculture with its own history and customs.

Be warned: the film does not portray the U.S. Army in the best light, and many will be disturbed, and even offended, by some of the film's ideas and images. There is some harrowing stuff here. But I found the film truly compelling.

Rating:
Summary: Good movie
Review: Another John Travolta good movie! I have seen so many of his films and this is one of his better ones. A story of a woman getting raped and dying of course. A very surprising ending and even though it the plot didn't make much sense, the acting was great. I have to give it two thumbs up! It's John Travolta, why else!

Rating:
Summary: Convoluted, frustrating thriller
Review: Let's start with the good news. The General's Daughter is one of the best photographed movies of 1999. The camera setups and the color compositions are so professionally and meticulously crafted that even the transferring of the film to video does not ruin it. It is a pleasure to view such a visual feast.

Director Simon West, whose biggest claim to fame so far has been ConAir, does a fine job with the little details that are an important element to film making, whether the audience is aware of these details or not. The editing is superlative, with a ton of jump shots between scenes. These all fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. As for the actors, almost all of them are seasoned professionals. John Travolta, for example, has been in many bad movies, but he has never been bad in a movie. The same can be said of Madeline Stowe, James Cromwell and James Woods.

So what's the problem with The General's Daughter? It's all in the script. What is it with Hollywood people? Are most of them illiterate? The script is the engine that drives a film. You could take a great script, shoot the movie in grainy black and white, use novice actors, and the result might still pass muster. If you take a flawed script, don't fix it, spend tens of millions of dollars and hire A-list actors, the result is apt to be something akin to all the king's men trying to save Humpty Dumpty.

The worst thing about this movie's script is that it starts with a bang and ends with a whimper. We first met the professional but renegade Warrant Officer Paul Brenner [Travolta] in the process of busting a gun runner. This beginning is exciting and intense, and it helps to define Brenner's character. Meanwhile, things have gone horribly wrong at an Army post in rural Georgia. Wicked things have occurred, and as a result, Captain Elizabeth Campbell has been killed in a most horrible and sensational way. She's not just an Army officer, she is base commander Lt. Gen. Joseph Campbell's [James Cromwell] daughter.

When Brenner arrives at the base to investigate, he meets enough suspects to fill a Federal penitentiary. Even General Campbell is not entirely above suspicion. The man has mighty political aspirations, and if his daughter's dirty secrets ever become public, he'll be finished. His right hand man, Col. George Fisher [Clarence Williams III] acts paranoid from the start. The local sheriff's son has had an affair with the victim. Col. Moore [James Woods] is rumored to have been deeply in love with Elizabeth. Brenner quickly learns that what these people really want is a a quick fix or a scapegoat rather than a real investigation.

For the first ninety minutes, the movie is an interesting mystery thriller. Our first clue that it may go off track is in the relationship between Brenner and Sara Sunhill [Madeline Stowe], who the Army has partnered with him on the investigation. The first time we see them alone together, we see that the reason they are not friendly is because of an affair they had years ago. Yet this subplot just hangs in the air. We never learn why they broke up. Worse, there is no clue as to whether they plan to get back together. It makes the knowledge of the affair pointless to the story. In much the same way, the end of the movie more or less disintegrates. To me, a great mystery is one in which the culprit is not the one you suspected, but still someone you realize you should have paid attention to. The General's Daughter has a killer few people would have reason to suspect. Even if they did, the suspect's reason for the act makes little sense.

This movie is like a friend I used to have. She was beautiful to look at, always composed, and a witty talker. Yet, underneath the shiny veneer, she was shallow and nearly empty.

Rating:
Summary: Do yourself a favor. READ THE BOOK.
Review: I realize that buying the rights to a book, in order to make a movie doesn't obligate you to copy the book, but one would think with a book as disturbing as The General's Daughter by Nelson DeMille elaborating on the plot would not be necessary.
All of the personal relationships within this script were underdeveloped. Why? To make room for more of the dialogue which should help the viewers to better understand the characters and their actions, but never actually accomplishes that goal. Indeed, I was left wondering what the purpose of the mundane dialogue was. This movie should have been a mystery, with a bit of action, suspense, and romance thrown in for good measure. The end result left me feeling like no one could really decide whether to make it an action or suspense film, but thought that perhaps by haphazardly alluding the a very uninteresting romantic relationship they could please the female viewer. The plot itself would have captured my interest, if I could have found it in all the drivel.

I've read the book 3 times, but could barely sit through the movie once.

Rating:
Summary: Youch! Look at these reviews...
Review: I viewed this film for the second time tonight, and will admit that I did not enjoy it as much as I did the first time. There are more than a few flaws in the screenwriting and possibly even directing that comes short of making the film complete and satisfying. However, I felt the message was somewhat provoking and atleast well-intentioned.

Most people who hated this movie seem to think that this film was very "anti-military." Being that I'm not in the military myself (a few of my friends are), my attention was not focused on how sensitively the film dealt with the topic. I notice now after the second showing that a few lines here and there seemed to hint towards anti-military sentiments. However, whether it be the military, the government, the Church, the education system, we cannot deny that corruption is possible in any standing institution.

Gang-rape out of jealousy? A general who covers up the crime in efforts to save the face of West Point? Perhaps they shouldn't have used so directly the name of West Point and instead, referred to it as some general academy. I don't think gang-rape out of jealousy is impossible and farfetched. Rape is a crime of hate and sexism in the military setting is very present. One of my bestfriends is in the third highest command here at Virginia Tech with the Corps Cadets and she is constantly competing with the other men, and constantly scrutinized in their presence. Being a female in the military is NOT easy, and resentment between students, especially between sexes, is not all that unlikely.

As for the general covering up the crime -- why is that unrealistic? If the media jumped all over the rape case, what female would feel safe applying to an institution where they are potential victims? No university, whether military or civilian wants to have their rapes publicized. It is bad for the name of the university and bad for their business. For the general to have chosen to keep quiet about the rape of his daughter was not the moral decision but an easy way out for this predicament.

And what are the responses from the child who has just been denied justice by her own father? While I can't say I condone the acts she committed in order to capture her father's attention, I can say that I understand the psychology of a rape victim. Refusing to bring her perpetrators to justice, and denying that the rape even happened told the daughter that she not only all alone in her situation, but that she was worthless and insignificant in her father's eyes. Having to return to school and constantly facing the fear of her "faceless" perpetrators must have also been traumatizing. This experience alone is enough to carve a wound so deep into a person's soul that revenge seems to be the only path of fulfillment.

A few major flaws in the film were the re-creation of the rape and who actually murdered her. Timothy Hutton's character lacked depth and the screenwriting failed to develop a strong tie between the victim and perpetrator, leaving the audience to think, "Wait a minute, who is this guy and WHY did he kill her?" Their story seemed insignificant to the entire picture. As for the re-creation of the rape, why wasn't More there to watch if anything badly happened to her? Was he just expecting that her own father would untie her? What if he decided that he would not, and she was left all alone out there all night long? Didn't she have a better back up plan than that? Furthermore, I was appalled that none of the men who saw her out there tried to cover her body when immediately saw her (it just appears psychologically inaccurate). I mean, isn't that a person's first instinct, to cover up someone's exposed body? Another flaw is the fact that More was the last to find out about Elizabeth's murder. If he had been the one to help her stage the scene, why wasn't he available for her the rest of the night incase she should want to be released from that humiliating position? Some of this was just behaviorally inaccurate.

James Cromwell reminded me of his Captain role in LA Confidential. John Travolta, I personally thought, was good and entertaining (perhaps a little too gutsy, but hey, it's Hollywood). Madeleine Stowe could have been used more, and definitely Hutton's character, as mentioned before, was underdeveloped (and too underdeveloped to be the killer, in my opinion).

All in all, a pretty decent film about the psychological warfare that occurs between a parent and a child, and how it can explode and branch out into many evils just because the parent was cause for deficits in the child.