February 21, 2014

The Fugitive: 1993

This action thriller film may be pegged as a blockbuster movie, but with its story of substance and stellar execution, The Fugitive is a sharp entertainment oozing with unassuming style. It is no wonder that it was nominated by the Academy.Starring some of the biggest names in Hollywood such as Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, and directed by Andrew Davis, the film takes a detour from the typical crime formula, and takes one through a gripping pace of intelligent adventure.



                   





The plot is centered on Dr. Richard Kimble, a respected surgeon in Chicago, played mesmerisingly by Harrison Ford, who gets unjustly convicted as the murderer of his wife.  The fate, however, intervenes in the form of a bus-collision, and Kimble escapes police custody. He is stamped as a fugitive, and is fiercely chased by the U.S Marshals headed by Deputy Samuel Gerard, played wonderfully by Tommy Lee Jones. Most part of the film revolves around the skillful elusion of Richard Kimble from the U.S Marshals in a pursuit to prove his innocence. Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble epitomizes undying optimism as he pursues investigation, even after losing the two crucial parts of his life; His wife and medical career. He slowly realises that the true purpose of the killing is tied to his own medical research on a drug called provasic that is created by a pharmaceutical giant, Devlin Mac Gregor.  The film sheds light on the unscrupulous practices of pharmaceutical companies in a bid to sell their drugs, which is very relevant even to this day. What makes the subject of this film credible is the perfect treatment of the medical details, which is neither sketchy nor elaborate.

There are many elements that make this film tick along with the fast ticking pace. The prime factor is of course the intriguing game played by the two protagonists on the two opposite sides of the law. There is, however, no antagonism; in fact on a psychological level they seem to be on the same side, and this rings true towards the end. The chemistry between Dr. Kimble and Deputy Gerard is incredible, and adds a certain quality that electrifies the screen with positive vibes. Quite rightly, Tommy Lee Jones won an Oscar as the best supporting actor for his role in this film, and it is a puzzler that Harrison Ford was not even nominated.  The background score composed by James Newton Howard manages to snatch a role. The catchy music and the innovative sound effects transcend the film to a level of brilliance. The director, Andrew Davis has quite cleverly used the powerful action sequences that are anything but noisy. Remarkably, the bus-train collision can skip a heart beat, and the fact that the collision was real, and was taken in a single shot with no special effects, puts the whole realism into perspective. The Fugitive is a pure entertainer laced with subtle humour, and Andrew Davis delivers it with style and substance!


Film: The Fugitive
Year: 1993
Genre: Thriller
Director: Andrew Davis
Producer: Anne Kopelson, Arnold Kopelson
Editing:  Dennis Virkler
                David Finfer
                Dean Goodhill
                Don Brochu
                Richard Nord
                Dov Hoenig
Cinematography: Michael Chapman
Music Composer: James Newton Howard
Story: David Twohy
Screenplay: Jeb Stuart
Based on: The Fugitive series created by Roy Huggins



                                                                                  
                                                                      Trailer

CAST:
 
Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble
Tommy Lee Jones as Deputy U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard
Sela Ward as Helen Kimble
Joe Pantoliano as Deputy U.S. Marshal Cosmo Renfro
Andreas Katsulas as Fredrick Sykes
Jeroen KrabbĂ© as Dr. Charles Nichols
Daniel Roebuck as Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Biggs
Tom Wood as Deputy U.S. Marshal Noah Newman
L. Scott Caldwell as Deputy U.S. Marshal Erin Poole
Julianne Moore as Dr. Anne Eastman
Ron Dean as Detective Kelly
Joseph Kosala as Detective Rosetti
Jane Lynch as Dr. Kathy Wahlund

Tomatometer: 96%         IMDb ratings: 7.8/10

                                                                                                                          -Indu Mathi S


                                                 

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