Newsbreak

Originally released on video and dvd September 26th, 2000.

"Newsbreak" is a film by direct-to-video auteur Serge Rodnunsky, who specializes in making inexpensive thrillers, shot quickly, economically, and professionally, guaranteed to make a profit. Not exactly Michael Cimino here. No huge egos in front of, or behind the camera to slow things down. No great artistry either, but that's not the point of a direct-to-video flik, anyway. The script is fairly generic: newspaper reporter takes on corruption at city hall, but it's not as leaden as you might expect a movie like this to be. Everything's filmed on location, including the big newsroom, in downtown Los Angeles. Jazzy cinematography by Haskell Wexler keeps up the pace. between scenes. To help liven things up, the director cast character actors who could bring a sense of humor to their roles, and an energy that keeps things moving. Having Brat-packer Judge Reinhold play the corporate villain puts a different kind of banal spin on the usual corporate villain (though for a more extended example of him doing this, see "Tom Clancy's Netforce", a 1999 tv movie, where he plays a Bill Gates-type). Michael Rooker, who often plays imposing characters in a lot of A-list movies, stars here as a beefy reporter with a dwindling self-image, trying to regain his footing. His physical strength seems to be the only thing holding him together as he tries to live up to his former reputation. As his sidekick, Noelle's character London seems like the only one who doesn't have a generic irish name. This isn't too farfetched, since the story deals with big city corruption in Los Angeles, one might expect a certain number of Irish surnames among the elite, but I suspect it's more the result of the generic nature of the script, and it makes me wonder if Noelle didn't just pick herself out a new name, just as she seemed to embellish her performance, which stands apart more colorfully than most. Accessory watch: very few--Noelle's camera gear is the main fashion statement here.

Wealthy industrial magnate Jake McCullum (Judge Reinhold), president of CCU construction is opening another power plant in Los Angeles, and everybody's there to cover the festivities, including investigative reporter (and occasional editorialist) John McNamara (Michael Rooker). John arrives with his partner, London (Noelle Parker), a feisty photographer who sums him up like a snapshot: London: "Man, we gotta work at some level of PC (political correctness) with you!" John: "Not me!" London: You know, you gotta like, strike a balance! I mean, is there anyone in this town you haven't pissed off yet?" John: "Probably not!" John is now seeing what happens to unsuccesful mavericks. While London was away on vacation for a few weeks, his independent streak led him to oppose the newspaper unions and side with management, helping to avert a crippling strike that might have brought down the Metro Examiner, the paper he works for. Now she's back, seeing his colleagues great him with words like "scab" and "scum", and film crews routinely jostle him and step on his toes.

She's standing by him, but she won't sugarcoat her feelings about it--he sold out: London: "I mean, you were my hero, man! You have fallen from grace, not once but twice! Who am I supposed to look up to now?" John shrugs this off, though. He's becoming rather used to disappointing people these days. Another story he did fingered a cop with suspected involvement in an insurance scam. As John discovers a ticket on his dashboard, one of L.A.'s finest returns the favor. London: "Man, you better watch your back!" John: "I thought you were watching my back?" In fact, that's exactly her job. Moments later, he gets jumped by the cop in question, London reaches for the nearest weapon she can find, her camera, and starts taking pictures. Back in the newsroom, London informs John that she's hasn't heard from their fellow reporter Darryl. We saw him being given a cement bath by the mob at the CCU power plant in the opening scenes of the movie, but she doesn't know that. She figures whatever relationship they had is over. John makes light of it: "I thought you were gay!" He suggests going to Darryl's apartment, since he had a lead on possible earthquake code violations at the plant. "Sure, I'd do anything for you!" she says, sarcastically offering her breasts, but his back is turned and he doesn't catch her meaning. They arrive at Darryl's place, finding it ransacked. The police show up, but seem more willing to give them a hard time than act on their lead. In particular, they're not crazy about London sneering at them. "That's not called for...are you trying to be smooth, too?" "Oh, No!, of course not!" Now she's starting to make enemies.

NEXT

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