SIX DAYS, SEVEN NIGHTS
1/2
(See explanation)
Adele Tan
Directed by : Ivan Reitman
Written by: Michael Browning Produced by : Caravan Pictures / Hollywood Pictures / Northern Lights Entertainment / Touchstone Pictures Main Cast : Ann Heche, Harrison Ford, David Schwimmer.
Length : Approx. 1hr40 minutes
Official Website: 6days7nights.com.
Rating : **1/2 for overall/ *** for chemistry between Heche and Ford. (actually mainly Heche)
This Review Filed: 11 July, 1998.
Going to no-man's land
So really, do we need anymore of these types of movies? The deserted island is once again the de-facto sacrificial lamb for the romantic getaway, the perfect get-up for two unlikely people to fall in love, and yada yada yada.Yes, of course the big, strong man gets his woman (duh!?) but this time round director Ivan Reitman (who gave us TWINS) gives this hackneyed romantic flick an adventurous and comic edge complete with batty characters and silly goof-ups.
![[ Pic from SIX DAYS SEVEN NIGHTS ]](/film/images/sixdays2.jpg)
Heche and Ford, looking for better career prospects in Six Days Seven Nights And so the story goes. New York magazine editor Robin Munroe ( Anne Heche) and her boyfriend Frank Martin (David Schwimmer) book themselves onto a tropical island vacation off Haiti for six days and seven nights. Whilst trying to get there, they find themselves flying in the hands of Quinn Harris (Harrison Ford), a cargo pilot and in his battered, rickety but trusty plane.
Although they did get to the island safely to get a few quiet moments together, a phone call from Munroe's boss for an assignment in the midst of a marriage proposal disrupts their rendezvous. So, needing to fly to mainland Haiti for a photo shoot, she leaves Martin behind and grudgingly enlists the help of Harris. Amidst their little petty squabbles in mid-flight, the plane gets downed by lightning and they crash onto a deserted island. Left to their own devices and an unwelcoming island, both are thrown into a rough and tumble journey whilst trying to survive the jungles, creepy-crawlies, cliffs and pirates. Their ordeal makes them realise each other's charm and character and soon they become literally life-partners.
Plot crash lands
Nothing can save the plot from a crash landing, not even the occasional funny lines and Heche's witty retorts. The movie smells of a rehash of previous things. The action in the film has shades of Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones, with him as the forest/mountain handyman to the rescue. And Schwimmer is wasted in another reprisal of Ross-the-loser. Yes, he looks adorable as a bumbling idiot going a guilt trip for a sexual one-night stand with a hot-blooded sex-pot thinking that Heche is dead and then fouling up on his confession, but not beyond that. That's just so Ross.And really, do they always have to paint a veneer of exotic gloss to a tropical vacation? Either they are deliberately taking a dig at the tackiness of tropical tourism or they genuinely thought so. All the stereotypes come out in the movie.
![[ Pic from SIX DAYS SEVEN NIGHTS ]](/film/images/sixdays3.jpg)
"Although advancing in years, Ford can still charm the pants off a woman." Still, the movie manages to stay afloat, no small thanks to Heche and Ford hamming and cuddling it together. Although advancing in years, Ford can still charm the pants off a woman (hold your disbelief coz we all know that Heche is more than chums with Degeneres). But the real touch came from Heche, whose comic timing and spunky goof-ball demeanor gave her protagonist some verve and attitude. In fact, she could have stolen the thunder (and lightning) from Ford and Schwimmer right under their noses and she does so with panache. So watch out for her. Perhaps, she's the new twist to the damsel in distress on an island ( without proving overly capable) as she steers the fixed-up plane to back to near safety whilst an injured Ford lay beside. The movie also got a great lift from wonderful cinematography, which captured spectacular sights of beaches, cliffs, summits, waterfalls and the verdant island, providing a lush, conducive backdrop for romance and adventure all rolled into one.
Well, this kind of a story cannot escape the happy ending and so the rough and tough bits will be spewed out to leave a sweet aftertaste even though the movie hints of potential disputes because of their incongruous lifestyles. But even so, we all know that in good time, they will kiss and make up.
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