Movies

John Travolta followed up his "Pulp Fiction" comeback with "Get Shorty", in which he plays Miami hit-man Chili Palmer. Moving to Hollywood to collect a debt, he finds that show biz isn't much different from the mafia, and he decides to get involved. But of course, once there's anything mafia-related involved, things start to get ugly. Not that they weren't already seedy.This movie has its strengths mainly in the script, but also in the strong performances from Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo and Danny DeVito. I guess that any time that someone gets a chance to show Hollywood's unseemly side, they take it. Of course, there's plenty of reasons to do so. The sequel, "Be Cool", wasn't quite as good, but still worth seeing.

Smart, funny mobster comedy/satire based on the novel by Elmore Leonard. Travolta is well-cast in one of his very best roles as a slick Miami loan shark/enforcer who travels to Los Angeles to cash in a loan, but instead ends up teaming with B-movie writer/producer Hackman to fulfill his dream of being connected to the movie business. Before he can however, he must deal with bumbling mobsters, white-collar criminals, and the anxiety of trying to find the right leading man. Crackling, hilarious dialogue, well-drawn characters, and clever insight into the movie business run rampant in this snappy little comedy. Maybe not for all tastes, but well-made and a definite must for Travolta fans. ***

Get Shorty is a hilariously funny, brilliantly written and colorfully acted satire of how hard it is to get a Hollywood movie made. All the moving pieces and different parties, each with their own motivations and goals, make it a natural fit for a film-loving gangster. Leonard is the man, as the movie totally depends on his script, and every part of it is awesome (dialogue, characters, story webbing).