"Deja Vu"

Denzel Washington
Val Kilmer
Paula Patton
Bruce Greenwood
Adam Goldberg
Matt Craven
Elden Henson
Jim Caviezel
Erika Alexander
Rich Hutchman
Brian Howe

PG13           126min           2006


“Déjà Vu” is about a group of scientist and an ATF agent uses a government-funded experiment that views the past to stop a ferry terrorist attack. In the process the agent falls in love with the murder victim that is the key to finding the attacker(s).

Washington is everyman’s man reminiscent of his ”Virtuosity” character. Paula Patton is a star on the rise. This is a good science fiction action thriller, on the surface the science works but as you dissect the film it breaks down.

Denzel Washington is again that everyman action hero, reminiscence of his performance in Virtuosity. You believe he’s just a guy trying to solve a case but as he becomes more invested in the case be becomes more invested in the woman. This is what drives this film and he believe and see the changes in his character.

The woman at the heart of “Déjà Vu” Paula Patton. She was previously seen in “Idlewild” she is an actress on the rise, having been behind the camera for a number of years. As you are watching her character you see a woman just living her life at the end of her days. Seeing her mainly from the past, they are reaction to her life and its now entire final twenty minutes that you have her interacting with Washington and see the frailty she brings to the character.

“Déjà Vu” has everything that works in good science fiction films. The science is grounded in reality. They state actually scientific theories, which are used to defend the characters actions, yet you’re not bogged down by it. On the surface the science is sturdy but as you look closely at the foundation you find cracks in it.

Once you realize the significant of certain things and think about them logically they break down. Things that are past and are actually future events down make sense. Only someone obsessive will even figure out what I’m talking about and the only reason I brought it up was that it factors into my grading this film.

Once I started to deconstruct the film it had major plot holes in it. Then I would rewatch it and then another hole would form until it became a black hole. The average viewer may not even pick these things up. I’m not giving the details of them because I don’t want to disappoint an otherwise enjoyable film.

I give it a 3/5 Gs.