The bonfire of vanities
Year of release : 1990
Run time : 2h5min
Genre : Satire / Dark Comedy / Drama
Cast : Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Melanie Griffith, Morgan Freeman, Kim Kattrall, Kirsten Dunst
Director : Brian de Palma
The movie is based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Tom Wolfe .
Sherman is cheating on his wife with Maria, and takes the family dog out for a walk on a rainy night, to call her from a pay phone,as he doesn't want his wife knowing about it, just that he calls their number, and talks to his own wife!
His wife recognizes his voice, and confronts him about it, while he denies everything.
Sherman is a Wall Street bond trader who makes millions and has an affair with a woman who is married to an older man.
On the night he takes her from the airport, he takes a wrong turn,worrying about his wife finding out about them,and ends up in the Bronx, place Maria calls a 'war zone'.
While trying to get a tire off the road, Sherman is approached by 2 African American men (they say teenagers but they look 40 to me) who pick on him. Maria gets behind the wheel driving towards him and he gets in the car. The 2 men are trying to get them,trying to open their car doors,so Maria drives through them,running one over.
Sherman is worried about the accident, but Maria doesn't care about it. Whenever they meet after, he keeps on bringing it up,wanting to call the police,but Maria refuses,as she was the driver.
The man is in the hospital, and his mother along with their reverend want money.
Alcoholic journalist Peter Fallow needs a good story, so he writes about this one, and embellishes it.
The district attorney,wanting to be re-elected,tries to cultivate a self image of the minority's avenger,so he wants to bring Sherman down, thinking it was a hit and run, and the man,who was in a coma now, was portrayed as a helpless victim in the newspapers.
The movie has many characters seeking power off this unfortunate event,trying to build their careers on it, not caring for the truth.
Most of the characters are unlikeable, and they and their world remind me of American Psycho. Sherman's wife throws a party when he's released from jail, because it was scheduled,and she couldn't cancel. Maria proves herself to be a promiscuous woman who had many affairs, and who didn't care for Sherman's well being. The prosecutor knows Maria drove the car, but wants to win the case,so he puts her on the stand to lie about Sherman. Sherman is unlikeable for cheating on his wife with a
gold digger. Peter Fallow, for writing a distorted version of the truth to gain recognition. The reverend and the mother of the man who was hit,for trying to gain popularity and money off this tragedy,proving she doesn't really care for her kid. The judge was the only good character who gives a good speech at the end, telling it like it is!
The story is narrated by reporter turned writer, Peter Fallow.
The movie is directed in the Brian de Palma style with the split screen and the unusual camera angles,framing characters against the backdrop,using the canted angle shot.
The movie is labeled a comedy but it didn't make me laugh.
I personally liked Kim Kattrall's interpretation of the cheated wife. She was my favorite, she was the only one I liked. I liked the women's clothes and jewelry,and Sherman's house.
I liked the scenes with the dog dragged by Sherman through the rain.
The actors were good.
I didn't like the soundtrack,and I also felt it didn't match.
You can watch the full movie here ,for free : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIV14gubm90&ab_channel=Cinemagic
Rating : Could have been a contender !
The leading characters of the movie
