| Word About BiehnReviews of Michael's Work |
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| Word About BiehnReviews of Michael's Work |
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With Wesley Snipes as its star, Art or War is reminiscent of U.S. Marshals, with its protagonist an unjustly accused good guy on the run. It opens with a James-Bondish prologue. UN undercover man Shaw (Mr. Snipes) infiltrates a Hong Kong new year's celebration, blackmails and embarrasses a North Korean official into returning to negotiations with South Korea, and, after being found out, makes a daring escape. It's all pretty farfetched, but the colorful scene does serve to introduce Shaw and his two pals and partners. One of them, Bly, is played by Michael.
The main story begins six months later. Shaw, Bly, and a contingent of undercover personnel are assigned to attend a dinner affair and eavesdrop electronically on the private conversations of central figures behind China's decision to enter into a UN trade accord. It is here that everything goes awry. The Chinese ambassador is assassinated, and a translator is attacked and critically injured. Chasing the black-clad figure who is responsible, Shaw himself is the one caught by police and suspected of the crimes. Worst of all, as he's being apprehended, Shaw hears through his earpiece a desperate Bly calling out that he's been hit and pleading for help, which Shaw cannot give. Unsurprisingly, to prove his innocence, Shaw escapes, seeks the help of the heroine, and with her uncovers a conspiracy to frame him and to sabotage the trade agreement.
Art of War provides OK entertainment as a typical action yarn with the requisite chases, hand-to-hand fighting, and general violence to liven things up. Adding an element of political intrigue, the plot--that's not without a few holes--is set against the background of China's emergence as a world power and the controversy over its place in the global economy. The acting is satisfactory, and I especially enjoyed Maury Chaykin as the world-weary and imperturbable FBI veteran who's seen it all.
Though Michael's role is relatively small, it is pivotal, and discussing it will reveal some story secrets. So if you want to avoid spoilers, you should stop reading now....
I was disappointed in the amount of time Michael has on screen in Art Of War. You can pretty much count on two hands the number of scenes he's given. Another complaint I have is the failure of the script to give Bly any background. Once again, in what has become a too-common occurrence, Michael is faced with making as much as he can of a character that is primarily a device. As Bly, he starts out as a normal guy and Shaw's trusted buddy. But by film's end, he's shown to be a thoroughly despicable character, a game player who enjoys manipulating people and feels no compunction about killing them in the process. To Bly, betraying a friend is a small price to pay to prove his superiority in the contest of wits and wills. By the cold calculation he instills in the role, Michael makes Bly truly evil, a killer and traitor who is motivated not by ideology, but by pure selfishness. I'd certainly rather see Michael with a more substantial part, and preferably as a hero. However, if there has to be a stock bad guy, Michael is as capable of playing him as anyone.
Kay
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