The reasonably entertaining AFTER THE SUNSET, a B movie with good stars, is
directed without much originality by RUSH HOUR series director Brett Ratner. A
romantic caper comedy, it features lots and lots of Salma Hayek's gorgeous
body, but skimpy bikinis are used to make sure that the movie gets the more
marketable PG-13 rating. Don't want to show too much skin and get slapped with
the dreaded R-rating, which might keep out some of the teens. Actually, I
suspect the demographics for this movie will skew much older so they might as
well have brought it in at an R and given us adults more than just constant
teases.
And speaking of looks, Hayek's costar is the even better looking Pierce
Brosnan, doing a part more in THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR mode than one of his
signature James Bond roles. The other two male leads are Woody Harrelson, as a
doofus FBI agent, and Don Cheadle, as a local mobster.
The setup for the thin plot is that Max Burdett (Brosnan) and his longtime
partner in crime and sex, Lola Cirillo (Hayek), have retired incredibly wealthy
to live a life of luxury in paradise, their new home in the Bahamas. As the
gentle ocean breeze blows, Lola is contented, but Max is restless. He even
tries to goad her into stealing a bracelet from their dinner companions just to
prove that she can still do it. Lola finally realizes that Max has been
cheating on her, not with a woman but a diamond. He's itching to steal a big
rock currently on display on a cruise boat in the harbor. FBI Agent Stan Lloyd
(Harrelson), who has been fooled by Max before, is on the scene to guarantee
that he won't be tricked again, which, of course, means that he most certainly
will be.
You've seen this movie many times before, but AFTER THE SUNSET is kind of fun
nonetheless.
So what video do Max and Lola rent for an evening at home? TO CATCH A THIEF,
of course.
AFTER THE SUNSET runs 1:40. It is rated PG-13 for "sexuality, violence and
language" and would be acceptable for kids around 12 and up.
Copyright © 2004 Steve Rhodes