"BEHIND THE SCENES"

John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Danny DeVito, Harvey Keitel, Vince Vaughn, Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), The Rock, Wyclef Jean, Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Andre Benjamin (Outcast), Anna Nicole Smith…See the whole package? Actually, these are the best-known names I remember from the film. It's like a whole package in terms of the cast, because the actors in the movie are from various professions, if you know what I mean. Cool, ha?
Unfortunately, although the name of the film is “Be Cool,” it's not cool at all. Before I saw the film, I had been thinking about the possible comedy along with the disappointment that could result if the movie wasn't cool like its title said. Well, what I was scared of did in fact happen.
“Be Cool” is a brand-new movie from director F. Gary Gray, who also directed “The Italian Job.” It's a sequel to “Get Shorty” (1995). Basically, the movie is about a man named Chili (Travolta), who has gotten bored working in the movie industry and decides to try his luck in the music industry after meeting Linda Moon (Christina Milian), who has a promising voice.
However, Chili has to get Linda’s contract away from the grubby hands of Harvey Keitel, Vince Vaughn and The Rock. Moreover, we also have the Russian mafia, who are chasing after Edie (Thurman), whose husband is a friend of Chili's. So, along with pursuing his new interest in the music industry, Chili also helps her. In this chaotic situtation, everybody is in a panic except Chili, because he's cool.
Well, the movie was just like a paper that's been torn apart. There was no sense of editing, storytelling, directing, etc. It's very obvious that the film is just for fun, and it wouldn't matter whether you watched it on the silver screen or on TV. It's devastating to see these people fool around creating a scene that's just like the ones in programs like "Jackass." What I mean is that the movie was all about show business.
“Be Cool" did have some interesting references to earlier films. For instance, there's a dance scene where Travolta and Thurman dance just like they did in "Pulp Fiction." Moreover, at the beginning of this scene, Thurman asks Travolta whether he knows how to dance. Travolta replies, “Yes, I do, because I'm from Brooklyn.” This is another reference, this time to “Saturday Night Fever,” in which Travolta played a dancer from Brooklyn. These scenes make you feel like the movie depends on previous ones, creating the idea that "Be Cool" is a sequel to more than one film.
Besides the references, the performance of almost the entire cast was good. Steven Tyler, especially, was perfect, as was Andre Benjamin, who gave a really funny performance. I also liked the way Travolta played Chili. This character really was as cool as the title, and you get this feeling by simply watching Travolta. Thurman, by the way, also did pretty well, but she's done better before. The others were good, too, except The Rock, because the character he played didn't really correlate with the actor himself. I found it lame but enjoyable, because the image he was trying to get across was really funny.
However, all in all, no matter how fascinating the cast was, the movie couldn't go beyond its commercial aim. Although you'll probably laugh during some scenes that satirize modern America, you'll also definitely say: “Come up with a good story!” If you want to have a little bit of fun without expecting too much, “Be Cool” may suit your needs. Hope you enjoy yourself. Keep up the good work--we have only three weeks left till the end of the semester. So, have fun, study hard, and be cool!

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