A friend of mine told me about the existence of a 1980's action movie / thriller with an environmental theme, filmed in one of the nicer corners of Europe. So I thought : let's give it a try, how bad could it be ? The answer was : pretty bad.
"Taffin" is as badly structured, weirdly paced and randomly connected as a heap of puzzle pieces fallen out of a cardboard box. Much of it is doomed to remain a riddle : what, if anything, is going on ? And who is the protagonist supposed to be - a scamp, a loner, a gang member, a gang boss, a saviour, an avenger, a mercenary, a disappointed idealist, a cheap punk with an attitude ? How does he feel about his fellow citizens, his family, his lover ? Is it really true that he tried to study for priesthood at a seminary ? Does he grasp key concepts from philosophy and religion or is he just spouting whatever nonsense passes through his pretty head ? Your various guesses are as good as mine, even if you didn't see the movie.
The environmental theme had promise but none of it is handled in an interesting or illuminating way. One can learn just as much about the dangers of pollution by reading the recipes on the back of a pack of spaghetti.
None of this is in any way or shape helped by the presence of a very young Pierce Brosnan. (He's at least five to ten years too young for the role.) It turns out that Pierce Brosnan, in his salad days, was a veritable Apollo. It also turns out that this veritable Apollo was a deeply incompetent actor incapable of expressing or evoking anything ressembling threat, danger, gravitas. Watch the scenes in which he threatens an opponent : it's like a wet kitten trying to imitate a tiger.
Perhaps aware of his own shortcomings, Pierce Brosnan tries to compensate by SHOUTING MEAN THINGS IN A LOUD VOICE. His character has a blonde girlfriend who seems to share the same tendency, so perhaps we're talking about a romance made in decibel heaven, who knows ? At the very end of the movie, both characters meet and reconcile in one of the least impressive romantic scenes from movie history. Oooh, yes, darling, kiss me, thrill me, kiss me again - let's go and make love in our bed. I want us to be blessed with a little bundle of joy that likes SHOUTING MEAN THINGS IN A LOUD VOICE...
"Taffin" seems to have been forgotten - in my humble opinion, justly. Let the dead bury the dead...
"Taffin" is as badly structured, weirdly paced and randomly connected as a heap of puzzle pieces fallen out of a cardboard box. Much of it is doomed to remain a riddle : what, if anything, is going on ? And who is the protagonist supposed to be - a scamp, a loner, a gang member, a gang boss, a saviour, an avenger, a mercenary, a disappointed idealist, a cheap punk with an attitude ? How does he feel about his fellow citizens, his family, his lover ? Is it really true that he tried to study for priesthood at a seminary ? Does he grasp key concepts from philosophy and religion or is he just spouting whatever nonsense passes through his pretty head ? Your various guesses are as good as mine, even if you didn't see the movie.
The environmental theme had promise but none of it is handled in an interesting or illuminating way. One can learn just as much about the dangers of pollution by reading the recipes on the back of a pack of spaghetti.
None of this is in any way or shape helped by the presence of a very young Pierce Brosnan. (He's at least five to ten years too young for the role.) It turns out that Pierce Brosnan, in his salad days, was a veritable Apollo. It also turns out that this veritable Apollo was a deeply incompetent actor incapable of expressing or evoking anything ressembling threat, danger, gravitas. Watch the scenes in which he threatens an opponent : it's like a wet kitten trying to imitate a tiger.
Perhaps aware of his own shortcomings, Pierce Brosnan tries to compensate by SHOUTING MEAN THINGS IN A LOUD VOICE. His character has a blonde girlfriend who seems to share the same tendency, so perhaps we're talking about a romance made in decibel heaven, who knows ? At the very end of the movie, both characters meet and reconcile in one of the least impressive romantic scenes from movie history. Oooh, yes, darling, kiss me, thrill me, kiss me again - let's go and make love in our bed. I want us to be blessed with a little bundle of joy that likes SHOUTING MEAN THINGS IN A LOUD VOICE...
"Taffin" seems to have been forgotten - in my humble opinion, justly. Let the dead bury the dead...