A
travelogue of Hollywood's touristic points of interest
(along with Beverly Hills, San Pedro, Santa Monica, and
Venice) is a bonus in Hollywood Homicide, directed by Ron
Shelton. We even get to see Hollywood's Honorary Mayor
Johnny Grant officiating at a ceremony in which Robert
Wagner is about to put his handprints in a cement bloc
in front of Mann's Chinese Theatre (and a newscaster twice
refers to the former name, Grauman's Chinese Theatre).
The story begins with a shootout at a rap music nightclub
in Hollywood, leaving four dead bodies. The case is assigned
to Joe Gavilan (played by Harrison Ford) and K. C. Calden
(played by Josh Hartnett), partners whom we are told fouled
up on their latest homicide investigation. Before the routine
investigation, the chase, and the final capture of the
two bad guys, we learn about the personalities of the two
cops. At first, there are makings of a comedy, but neither
character provides comedic line delivery or the New York
accents to make sardonic lines credible, so we are instead
gently amused by their idiosyncrasies and part-time employment
aspirations. Gavilan, who is paying alimony to several
former wives, has sunk his assets into a Mount Olympus
mansion, which he is trying to sell with his real estate
license. Ruby the Psychic (played by Lena Olin) decides
to shack up with him, coincidentally after his partner
ribs him for not having had a lay in a long time. Meanwhile,
Calden cannot hit the target at the police shooting range,
possibly because he really wants to be an actor. Calden
also collects $20 per head for conducting a yoga class,
consisting of pretty women, so he has a never-ending supply
of bedmates. Gavilan's idea of lunch is a cheeseburger
with a pickle but no lettuce or mayonnaise; Calden prefers
a cucumber sandwich with beansprouts. Another story theme
is an investigation of Gavilan by Bennie Macko (played
by Bruce Greenwood) of Internal Affairs; since Gavilan
is living at the edge financially, Macko suspects that
he is on the take. After interviewing suspects, the crimefighting
duo eventually concludes that the murders were ordered
by a Mr. Sartain (played by Isaiah Washington), an agent
for music groups with an office at Hollywood & Vine.
Sartain, in turn, hired a cop to arrange the hit, off duty
of course. Sartain's motive is to deter novice clients
from breaking their contracts if they later become popular.
Yet another subplot involves the unexplained death of Calden's
father, who was an LAPD cop. But the circumstances of his
death are revealed as Gavilan and Calden get closer to
the truth in their investigation, and many loose ends are
then tied up. In addition to rap music in the nontalking,
cinematic parts of the film, Hollywood Homicide offers
cameos by Gladys Knight and Martin Landau, and the movie
has all the earmarks of a television series pilot. The
social commentary, however lame in what is intended as
a big-star action film, is that LAPD officers are not paid
enough and hamper one another as rivals for promotion. MH
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