Hero

HERO
USA 1992

I hadn't planned on seeing this film. I ended up enjoying it. Specially Dustin Hoffman, who I think is now the Lawrence Olivier of the 70's, 80's and 90's. He is very good.

It is the story of a simple minded man, whose eccentricities have netted him the streets, and the loss of his family. He has resorted to a little thievery, and a retail business of his thefts, and manages to make it until he finds out that his lack of awareness is costing him.

He happens to be going home, and right in front of him a plane crashes, and he becomes the unknown hero who helped a few people get out, and then went his way, after acquiring a few more goodies for his arsenal. And another bum gives him a ride, gets his story, and when an award is offered to find the man who did it, the second bum ( Andy Garcia ) goes to claim it. And not a single person believes the real hero because he is always telling them lies, and is not capable of keeping his act straight. But along the way he leaves a trail of small items, a lost shoe, a torn sock, and many other little things, which eventually get him cornered by an over eager reporter who has taken a liking for the fake hero, though his behavior is helping her figure out that he isn't the real hero......but he has a heart of gold and has a bit of a Midas touch with children in orphanages.

When the fake hero can't fess up to the real thing, he ends up on the edge of a high building ready to jump. In comes our real hero to save the day. He doesn't like all the commotion and attention, and only wants a part of the money, so he can get out of his court date which is going to land him in jail. And the fake hero can continue doing the good deeds which he has done so well, which the TV station is playing to the hilt.

Geena Davis plays a go getter reporter who gets her life saved before the airplane explodes, and who sets about figuring out who actually saved her, since she is finding small loopholes in the fake hero's story. And in the end, the real hero doesn't admit to anything, but keeping up his image, he responds to the reporter's comment (...you are quite welcome ...) to his having saved her life (... of the record, thanks for saving my life...), and both men go on in life. The real hero has a new found appreciation by his ex wife who left him out cold, and his son, who now believes his stories.

A harmless, and clever little story, acted to the max by Dustin Hoffman, who is excellent. He just has a knack for those characters who are down on their luck which is uncanny, and really hard to do consistently.

Nice and Positive film. Worth seeing, specially when you are bored and you go rent that dvd or stream.

3 GIBLOONS

DIRECTOR: STEPHEN FREARS
Screenplay by David Webb Peoples
Cinematography by Oliver Stapleton
Music by George Fenton
CAST: Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, Andy Garcia
ONE WORD: Nice story and really good Hoffman

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