It is quite depressing to watch Hollywood political thrillers made at the very end of Cold War, because their plots, based on the premise of upcoming era of peace, understanding and prosperity, remind us what the world has recently lost. One of such films is The Package, 1989 action thriller directed by Andrew Davis.
The plot begins in still divided city of Berlin, where the high ranking US and Soviet representatives are negotiating final details of nuclear disarmament treaty. There are factions within both governments that would prefer to keep their respective nuclear deterrent, and, in doing so, they are ready to cooperate with each other in order to prevent treaty from being signed. Protagonist, played by Gene Hackman, is US Army Master Sergeant Johnny Gallagher, part of security team in West Berlin facility where negotiations take place. When one of participants dies in apparent terrorist attack, Gallagher is blamed for failure to prevent it and, as punishment, gets assigned to routine but humiliating task of delivering “package” – US Army Sergeant Walter Henke (played by Tommy Lee Jones) – to United States for court martial. At Washington, D.C. airport Gallagher gets attacked by group of men after which Henke disappears. Determined to find him and bring him back, Gallagher visits Henke’s wife only to realise that the man on photos looks differently. Gallagher suspects that false Henke used to be Vietnam War and covert operations veteran so his tries to investigate further, this time with the help of his ex wife Eileen (played by Joanna Cassidy) who, unlike him, advanced in Army ranks and became Lieutenant Colonel. The investigation, however, endanger both of their lives and, after having to deal with assassins, two of follow the trail and go to Chicago, where US President and General Secretary of Soviet Communist Party are scheduled to arrive as part of ceremonies before the treaty signing.
Script by John Bishop was obviously inspired by genre classics like The Manchurian Candidate and The Day of the Jackal, as well as popularity of Mikhail Gorbachev (whose lookalike Joe D’Amico plays Soviet leader in the film) and his Glasnost policy in the West. Bishop didn’t have much luck, because only few months after premiere Berlin Wall fell down, starting rapid implosion of Soviet Bloc that would make plot premise moot. However, some of film’s problems can still attributed to him, mainly complicated plot that makes film’s running time a little bit longer than needed, as well as use of an annoying conspiracy thriller cliché in which lone protagonist somehow manages to beat omni-present and all-powerful foes that include military and intelligence services of two most powerful countries in the world.
What makes this film work is energetic yet no-nonsense direction by Andrew Davis, film maker best known for action films set and shot in or around Chicago. There are couple of good action scenes and Davis, who uses not only Chicago locations but local acting talents (including real life or former policemen), makes them look suspenseful and believable. Same no-nonsense approach is provided by Gene Hackman who confidently plays character who, despite relatively old age, can handle difficult situations and serve as a proper protagonist. The rest of the cast doesn’t fare that well. Joanna Cassidy is wasted in a role that was not particularly needed for film, just as in the case of Pam Grier. John Heard, who plays shady covert ops officer, is actually annoying as the most prominent among many faceless villains. Tommy Lee Jones is interesting in the role of cynical assassin and actually has good chemistry with Hackman, but those actors don’t appear together very much. This isn’t the case with Dennis Franz who is very good as Gallagher’s old friend and Chicago police detective who helps Gallagher with his investigation. The Package is in the end entertaining and effective action film, although, in light of current events, can leave impression than its villains in real life, unlike on the screen, won.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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