Snake Eyes Review

The place is Atlantic City on a stormy night. Rick Santoro, Nicolas Cage, a corrupt local cop, has wagered a bet on a prizefight being staged in a stadium attached to a casino and hotel. He meets up with his best friend, Kevin Dunne, Gary Sinise, a Naval officer in charge of security for the U.S. Secretary of Defence. But, just as the champ gets knocked down and with Dunne distracted by a woman in the crowd, an assassin fatally shoots the politician and wounds a woman talking to him. Rick`s first thought is to help his friend, who is likely to be accused of negligence - but as he discovers more about the incident, he realises a sinister conspiracy is afoot and that the wounded woman is a vital witness...Though you can quibble about some of the plot mechanics of Snake Eyes, and I wouldn`t want to analyse the details too closely afterwards, this dazzlingly directed Brian De Palma film is, quite simply, the best thriller in ages. It starts with a truly stunning 12 minute continuous take in which all the characters and the set-up are established, but even after that tour de force of Panavisioned Steadicam by cinematographer Stephen H Burum, the tension - and the invention - never lets up. Like Hitchcock, De Palma adds to the suspense by revealing the identity of the chief villain early in the piece, and he repeats key sequences from different points of view as the pieces of the jigsaw gradually fit together. Cage isn`t a very likable hero, but he gives a powerful, intensely physical performance which is right for the film. I really enjoyed this nail biter.