Man on the Run

Ever feel like your job may be killing you? Perhaps not (always) literally, but creatively; slowly sucking your soul, youth, and passion out of your left ear, leaving behind a hollow shell of a completely defeated, albeit, completely dedicated, robot? If so, you probably wake every day around 6:30 am, get your sour suit on, go to work, clock in, tune out, clock out, and return home to pickle what’s left of your brain in varying liquors, until it is time to reset the alarm clock.

Well here are a couple of working-man heroes to break up your everyday boredom. In between poppin’ pills, pop these into the old VCR: The Firm, Paycheck

It's a Double White Collar Crime on the rocks with a smooth jazz chaser. Drink it down!

The Firm
The Curator has demonstrated in previous post that all of Tommy Cruise's projects contain the little-known "Stallion Clause." For those unfamiliar, "The Stallion Clause" is a footnote within any contract Cruise signs, that he is required to have at least one, but preferably more, scene in which he sprints, nostrils a-flarin', for the means of making an end that will be for the betterment of all in "the Film." Check it and see.

Based on the book that catapulted John Grisham’s 400 page door stoppers to the top of airport bookstore shelves everywhere, The Firm does not disappoint Cruise fans, whoever they may be, containing no less than three Stallions, one hot and heavy love scene and a couple of "goodie two shoes" lovey moments with the otherwise not so wholesome Jeanne Tripplehorn.

Everyman Mitch McDeere appears to have it made when he gets the job of his dreams, at last able to ditch his trailer park past, provide his “lovely” wife Abby with all she desires, and cementing his future in the upper echelons of the solidly reputable Memphis high society. Unfortunately the “Firm” has another role in mind for Mitch, that of “Mob Stooge.” Yes, for unexplainable reasons, the Chicago mob retains a small law firm in Memphis. And apparently the partners traverse the world in search of an army of replacements to ensure the cycle is perpetuated.

Well, Tom is not about to have any of that noise. Bucking the bosses, Tommy will race his way to freedom, through Memphis streets with briefcase in hand, finally putting Wilford Brimley out of our misery, getting all these White Collar Mo-Fos behind bars without ever compromising his professional integrity, and all the while helping to create the world’s most perfectly matched hick-i-fied couple, Holly Hunter and David Strathairn. Sigh.

Paycheck
Ben Affleck gets his jog on proper here, pitted against the outstanding Aaron Eckhart and joined by ever-mild Uma Thurman.

Though your disbelief is initially stretched to the point of serious snap by first having to accept Ben Affleck as some kind of computer programming genius, comfort level is restored once realization sets in that you will not be required to watch him suffer and sweat through too many electronic related explanations.

Michael Jennings is a computer hacker extraordinaire, highly in demand to rip off patented computer technology because of his willingness to have any memory of his work therein erased. (Insert “Ben Affleck” and “Dumber than a Bag of Hammers” joke here) But he really gets screwed when he takes a job with Aaron Eckhart, his supposed friend, who uses him to build an Uber-Magic 8 Ball future time viewing machine of sorts, and then tries to “erase him” along with his memory of the project.

Ben wakes up from his erased past and finds he has traded in his 90 million dollar paycheck for an envelope full of mysterious and crappy items. Why ever would he DO such a think you ask? Well, because there’s a mystery to solve for one! And said crappy items provide a treasure map of sorts with which Ben may play, while racing on foot, motorcycle, bus and train, through the streets of Seattle in hot pursuit of the past/future/present. Will he stop the baddies? Get the girl? Ever reclaim his lost paycheck? All signs point to “Formulaic Hollywood Ending.”

Conclusion:

Take heart that your boss isn’t trying to kill you. At least, as far as you know.