Snake Eyes (1998)

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Gary Sinise, Carla Gugino, Kevin Dunn, Luis Guzmán, Stan Shaw, and Mike Starr
Grade: B+

We were on the cusp of something great with Snake Eyes, but we just missed the boat. With that being said, it’s still a highly underrated movie in Nicolas Cage’s filmography.

Summary

On the verge of a hurricane at the Atlantic City Arena, a big heavyweight boxing match is scheduled with Lincoln “The Atlantic City Executioner” Tyler (Shaw) taking on some total dipshit that is guaranteed to lose. It’s a big deal because it’s the last big show before the arena is getting renovated. Crooked Detective Rick Santoro (Cage) stumbles by TV reporter Lou Logan (Dunn), before he’s set to go on air, to see if he’s seen bookie Jimmy George (Michael Rispoli). Lou tells him he saw Jimmy in the tunnel and gives Rick money to bet on Tyler. Rick gives him shit for only betting $50 on Tyler, so Lou decides to go with a full $100 instead. Following a conversation with his girlfriend on the phone, he finds Jimmy who just got done talking to Tyler. Rick tells Jimmy he wants to put $5,000 on Tyler, but Jimmy isn’t having it because it takes forever for Rick to pay. They are interrupted by a door opening and Rick seeing Cyrus (Guzmán), a drug dealer that owes money to Rick. Cyrus tries to escape Rick, but Rick catches him on the lower level, beats him up, and takes the very little money he has on him. Rick then uses this $2,900 to give to Jimmy to put money on Tyler. It would’ve been $3,000, but Jimmy wouldn’t accept the extra $100 because it was soaked with Cyrus’s blood. Following this, Rick goes to ringside after flirting with a random worker and getting a call from his wife and child.

At ringside, he meets up with his good friend and US Navy Commander Kevin Dunne (Sinise). Dunne is working security tonight with the Department of Defense to protect Defense Secretary Charles Kirkland (Joel Fabiani). After Kevin goes through his rounds to check on everything, him and Rick sit down. After they reminisce a little bit, talk about Rick’s constant infidelity, and him potentially getting a clean job with the US government with Kevin’s help, Kevin notices a distracting red-haired woman across from them sitting by herself. He goes to ask for her credentials, but as the fight commences and starts to get exciting, the crowd rises to their feet. This distracts Kevin for a moment, and the red-haired woman escapes with Kevin running after her. As Rick fields phone calls from his two girls, Julia (Gugino) sits in the seat next to Rick. After they flirt for a moment, Julia hands Kirkland an envelope, and they get into an argument with Julia even stating, “…I’m telling you, you’re the one that’s going to be sorry”. Immediately following this, Rick gets a mysterious phone call, and he’s clueless as to who it is. At the same time, Tyler is surprisingly knocked down in his fight. In the middle of all this, someone shoots Kirkland, and Julia is grazed as well. Rick tackles Julia to the ground for safety and her wig falls off. Several more gunshots are heard as the crowd goes into a frenzy, with everyone trying to run out of the arena. During the firing of gunshots, Rick makes eye contact with Tyler (still lying down in the ring), who seems a lot less dazed than he should be from the fight.

Rick and Kevin spring into action to get things under control, with Kevin having one of his guys shut down all the exits to try and keep every last witness in. Privately, he panics to Rick because he failed at his job of protecting Kirkland, but the always scheming Rick tells him exactly how to spin it to avoid being court martialed. Technically, Kevin was out of position because he didn’t go through with procedure the right way, but Rick explains he’s a hero because he technically killed the gunman. Kevin feels guilty as hell, but Rick comes up with a pretty good plan on how to avoid this mess.

Right away, Rick starts arguing with another official to see whose case it is, but Rick argues that not only is he a homicide detective for Atlantic City, but he’s also a material witness. Because they aren’t on the casino floor, this case is under Rick’s jurisdiction unless federal authority steps in. Realizing Rick is right, the guy backs off and leaves with his crew. Next, Rick has the press banned from the building and then describes Julia to Kevin, so he can begin his search. After this, Lou Logan tries to ask Kevin something but is yelled at right away by Rick since the press is banned. Lou tries to convince Rick to let him be the main press guy on the scene because it would be a huge break for him, but Rick doesn’t budge until Lou agrees to pay him $5,000. After this, he goes to watch the camera footage of the fight, only to find out that Tyler threw the fight, falling down to a phantom punch. Just as Julia cleans off blood from herself in the bathroom, Rick goes straight to Tyler’s private room, flashing his detective status to get through. Immediately, he accuses Tyler of throwing the fight to his face. As Rick’s yelling gets to him, Tyler tells everyone to leave the room, so they can talk. Elsewhere, Julia, wearing different clothes, starts going through the arena looking for an escape route.

Back in Tyler’s room, he admits to Rick that he threw the fight. Rick promises to not tell anyone as long as he pays him the $10,000 he lost on the fight, even though we know he only put in $2,900. Plus, he adds an extra $500 for “shaming” his class ring by not remembering they went to the same high school. We then go to a flashback to the opening of the film where we see that Tyler agreed to throw the fight to pay off his gambling debts and his lawyer was not having it. Obviously, he didn’t feel right about the situation, but it had to be done. Later, he was trying to figure out what round to go down in because it was supposed to be signaled to him by a crowd member with an earpiece. Once he got the signal, he started to prepare, but the guy he was facing was so incompetent in the whole process, he almost screwed everything up. Eventually, Tyler got caught up in the flurry of punches and went down earlier than expected and miss-timed the punch the guy threw. When he hit the ground and heard the gunshots, he visibly woke up from his fake “knockout” and that’s when Rick made eye contact with him. Tyler insists that no one was supposed to die though, at least that’s what the woman who gave him the job said.

Who is this woman you ask? It was the red-haired woman that distracted Kevin before the shooting.

Just after this, Lou interviews Kevin on camera about updates on the current situation. Kevin explains that there’s a Palestinian terrorist living in the U.S. known as Rabat, and he’s been linked to several threatening letters sent to Defense Secretaries over the sale of defense systems and missiles being sent to Israel. He was also found with a note that he intended to be found after the shooting, but it’s not said what’s on there because it needs to be investigated first. Furthermore, it’s not known whether Kirkland is alive or dead. Off-camera, Kevin is told by his guys that the whereabouts of Julia are unknown. Rick finds Kevin and tells him he thinks the red-haired girl is more than likely the same person Kevin was distracted by and that they may have a real conspiracy on their hands. At the same time, Kevin brings up Rabat, arguing that the guy was a nutcase willing to die for his cause. It’s possible the guy found out about the “Norfolk” test. This is a weapons test for the Air Guard, Defense Contractor Gilbert Powell’s new antimissile defense system. It was up to Kevin to sell it to Congress because it beat the old system out of the water, and everything seemed to be going swimmingly. Kevin and the group of officials were riding high going into the fight, but the red-haired woman threw him off. Now, he’s beating himself up over it all because he was three feet away from a known terrorist. Though he shot and killed the guy, the guy still managed to shoot Kirkland.

They decide the next plan of action. Rick is to go after the woman and the guy that shouted the signal, and Kevin is to go after Julia. Kevin does stress to Rick to not start shouting “conspiracy” right away because it may make them sound crazy. What Rick doesn’t know is that he actually is in the midst of a conspiracy, one larger than he initially imagined.

My Thoughts:

Snake Eyes had a lot of potential to be something massive.

As soon as the film begins, director Brian De Palma builds up major anticipation with a magnificent, continuous Steadicam shot that immerses us in the fast-paced Atlantic City environment inhabited by the fast-talking, slimy, charismatic, and crooked Rick Santoro. He interacts with the entirety of the supporting cast as the surrounding backdrop of a heavyweight boxing match goes on in the very lively background, and it’s as vibrant and distinctive as any opening you may ever see put to film. Only someone with energy as infectious as Nicolas Cage could keep you drawn in from the get-go too. He’s the perfect actor to mix with this stylish, unforgettable introductory sequence. It’s a match made in heaven. Seriously, if you’re taking a screenwriting class, watch the opening of Snake Eyes. THAT is how you write an opening to grab the audience’s attention. With that being said, the rest of the movie doesn’t live up to the amazing tracking shot of the opening. I hate to admit it, but it’s the unfortunate truth. Once the action starts to take place and the assassination attempt happens, we are still white hot. It’s just that the film starts its downward slope from there.

Nevertheless, our minds race into quite a few different directions, wondering how these characters are going to handle the situation, especially with the amoral Rick leading the charge. We are especially interested in how best friends and polar opposites of each other in Rick and Kevin were going to go about things knowing that the strait-laced one in Kevin is the one in trouble here. You see how I’m left wanting more of these characters and how I’m itching to see how they will go about solving the plot? This is how you open a movie! You couldn’t set up a beginning better than this. It’s a shame how they start to lose us once Rick starts his investigation, and him and Kevin split up to go after their different targets. It could be because we find out who did it a little over forty minutes into the film. Honestly, I should’ve seen it coming, but I’ll admit I was mesmerized by the pomp and circumstance of the first half hour to where I wasn’t really thinking about it. This is actually a good thing because I was enjoying myself. I wasn’t thinking about solving the mystery, I was just enjoying the ride. Alas, once the early reveal is presented to us, the air was let out of the room and the intrigue and mystery of the story was gone. At this point in the movie, the only thing you’re waiting on is what the motive was and if our protagonists will survive the bad guy. Then again, the double-edged sword is that there’s a good chance that if the villain wasn’t revealed this early, viewing audiences would probably guess who the person responsible was based off of the actor chosen.

The only way to avoid it would be for more red herrings like the literal red-haired woman, or another known actor to be involved somehow. All things considered, I’m not sure if revealing the person behind the conspiracy that early was really worth it. Brian De Palma argued that it happened this way for a reason, and this was because the movie was more about the relationships that developed in the film and everything coming after it, not necessarily who was behind it all. Though I commend him for trying something different in the mystery genre, he didn’t do the best job in pulling it off. Plus, I just disagree with him in general because I don’t think this is what Snake Eyes should’ve been about. The mystery should’ve been a majority of it, with the relationships developing along the way and enriching the character development as a result.

Gary Sinise was wonderfully convincing in his role, doing a lot better than I expected. Sadly, every time I hear that Will Smith was cast first but dropped out because of money issues, it’s hard for me to forget because Nicolas Cage and Will Smith together would’ve been insane! Even so, Sinise was a pretty good consolation prize. Carla Gugino reminds us that she is one of Hollywood’s most underrated actresses too. Not only is she able to play a sympathetic co-star that is out to do the right thing and be a mystery woman with a dark past, but she’s subtly sexy while doing it. She can really do it all. I don’t think she gets enough credit. One thing I noted in the third act is that her missing from the action hurt the film. Once we establish this friendship between Julia and Rick, we only get to see them for a small bit before he locks her in a room for her “safety”. What Cage went through in the climax made sense considering the situation, but Julia missing out and not being involved at all felt like a misstep. Her motivations drove the whole plot! She’s too important to be thrown to the side for twenty minutes! Gugino being underutilized is an understatement. Even the small chase in the hotel rooms, as Rick and Kevin go to look for her, was exhilarating, and it’s because of how much we were interested in her story up until that point. She missed out on one of the biggest moments of the film, and it felt wrong.

Again, the second half of the film was a letdown compared to the first half. However, the real problem was the third act. Not only does Rick never really get a satisfying comeuppance and Julia is wasted, but the final part of the climax is outlandishly far-fetched considering the timing of it all. It took like three inconceivably lucky things to happen in a row for Rick and Julia to avoid dying and for the villain to be caught. It just didn’t seem right at all. The ending was also a bit frustrating, with the aftermath of the characters being all over the place. I’m not sure if it was placed there for comedic effect, especially in Rick’s case, but it was definitely not the ending I was expecting nor wanting. They rectify it with a bit of romance but in general, it felt overdone and unnecessary, especially when you take into account everything that happened previously to the man. Wasn’t his redemption enough? Did he really need that extra slap in the face? I thought getting his ass kicked by a heavyweight boxer was enough!

Brian De Palma’s visual style does help Snake Eyes a lot. It saves us when the story starts to lose us. I already talked about the awesome opening scene, but the energy that the Atlantic City vibe brings with it is great. A few times, De Palma re-does certain scenes from a different perspective and angle to show us what was going on behind closed doors, as well as to show us that what we did know is something else entirely based off of new information, and it adds a lot to the fun narrative structure of the film. For example, during the opening, Rick sees Tyler from a distance as he greets him before they shut the door. Later on in the movie, we see the same scene in question, only this time it’s everything leading up to Rick coming to the door from Tyler’s room instead of outside of it, and how it all connects. It adds a lot to the breakneck pace of the first half of the film, as it sets itself apart visually from any mystery movie you’ve probably seen in years. De Palma trying these different looks and angles helped Snake Eyes exponentially, becoming highly memorable regardless of the final product. As De Palma gets absolutely everything out of the scenery at this beautiful hotel/casino, the action gets deeper, and it shows you how much can be done with great performances, a fantastic setting, and an unmatched style. This is yet another reason why this film is hugely underrated.

Another standout shot is the overview of all the separate hotel rooms as Kevin searches high and low for Julia.

Seriously, the camera work is something else.

Another reason to check this out is because of Nicolas Cage’s Rick Santoro. Per usual, Cage shines bright, looking like he’s having just as much fun as we’re having in that first half of the film. He’s smiling, he’s laughing, he’s screaming, he’s obnoxious, and he’s kind of a piece of shit. He knows it too. Rick is living life on the edge, but this feeling of not giving a fuck about tomorrow and living for the day is Rick’s calling card. What’s better place for this character to live in than Atlantic City (other than Vegas)? In the world of Snake Eyes and what they perceive Atlantic City to be, everyone’s a scumbag and no one can be trusted. Santoro is our protagonist and even he is untrustworthy. Everyone has their own agenda, even the news reporter! This is the environment we’re living in for this hour-and-a-half, and it sets the scene flawlessly for a movie full of backstabbing, betrayal, and the need/want of doing anything to get ahead. Rick Santoro has this coffee-fueled enthusiasm that only Nicolas Cage can bring out onscreen. I loved every second of it. He’s a shifty gambler and has no shame in it, but he does become the reluctant hero because of how things play out. He’s a very interesting protagonist to get behind because we shouldn’t like him based off how the character is written.

However, it’s Nicolas Cage being unapologetically Nicolas Cage. This is enough to gets us to like him.

Even when he’s deeply entrenched in the case, he refuses to believe the twist at first, even though the evidence is staring right at him. Rick doesn’t want to be this involved, but he’s forced because deep down, he knows it’s the right thing to do. It takes a bit, but his heroic qualities start to show past his charisma at this point, and it’s because of the excellent Carla Gugino, crying as she says she could be wrong as Rick yells at her. After realizing she is telling the truth, he flips out, insisting he wanted no part in this. Very rarely do you see a character practically forced into a redemption arc, but this is the case with Rick Santoro, and I enjoyed watching this switch in mentality as the conspiracy gets bigger and bigger. The two leads completely flip flop by the end of the film, and it’s actually crazy to think how we got there based off of the first fifteen minutes of the movie and where we initially thought we were going with it. We were all betting on Rick selling out because that’s who he is. It’s even explained how Rick was roped into this because he “could be bought if anything went wrong”. I loved that line. It made Rick even more likable because surprisingly, it was the one time he couldn’t.

Considering all of the other issues with the film that I had, this may seem minor, but how the hell did Julia walk around with a bright white getup stained in blood without being noticed by anyone? Barely anyone batted an eye! At most, one security guard tried to stop her. That was it. How is this? How did not a single person out of the thousand onlookers that were at the fight not even look in her direction? Even if she is on the shorter side, if you’re wearing blood-stained clothes, you will stand out in a crowd. Furthermore, she is somehow able to escape to the bathroom undetected and is able to wash herself off. There’s not a single woman during this chaos that has to use the bathroom? I beg to fucking differ! This scenario in itself might be just as unrealistic as the climax!

The only thing I can think of that could’ve pushed Snake Eyes to the next level without fixing plot details (and the ending), was to keep the energy of the opening going by giving the film a feeling of one continuous shot in the vein of 1917 or Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). This would’ve been a hard thing to pull off in 1998, but it’s just a thought I had. The camera work was incredible though and needs to be given just as much credit to the success of this film than anything. Nicolas Cage and the rest of the cast and crew were game for Snake Eyes and Brian De Palma did a solid job because the first part of this movie set my world ablaze. Unfortunately, as things started to unravel, the movie started to feel less and less mysterious and more and more run-of-the-mill. It was still an entertaining watch, especially for a Nicolas Cage fan like me (because he was on fire here), but the momentum just slowly went out the door in the final half hour.

Greatness was the ceiling here, but Snake Eyes was comfortable with staying on the fifth floor. That’s about as easy as I can put it.

Fun Fact: Al Pacino and Will Smith were both offered Gary Sinise’s role, but they turned it down. For the record, Pacino could’ve done this role in his sleep. I’m not sure how Smith would’ve fared playing a bad guy, but Cage going against either of them would’ve been AMAZING to watch.