"One Night at McCool's," is a good movie. Not a great movie, but good nonetheless.
McCool's is the story of how Liv Tyler attempted to change her image from that of an innocent, love-lorn teen to that of a full-blown sex goddess. I know there's some plot and storyline in this film somewhere, but it doesn't really matter. Because Liv Tyler is the star of the show. She is what the movie is all about. And the other actors, the makeup guy, the costuming department, the cameraman, and even the director do their best to make sure that you want her. And really, that's the most important part of the movie, because Liv Tyler's dead sexiness is what drives the entire rest of the film. There is one other woman in the cast. She is Paul Reiser's character's wife. I do not believe she is given a first name in the credits. All of the other actors are men. They're really good men. "McCool's" has Paul Reiser, John Goodman and Michael Douglas all in the same movie. Matt Dillon is also part of the cast. He is, in fact, arguably the male lead. For once, I did not loathe Matt Dillon, which is another point in McCool's favor.
I don't want to tell you much about the plot of the movie since telling anything would ruin all the fun surprises this film holds. Suffice it to say, everybody loves Liv Tyler. Hilarity ensues. Except that "One Night at McCool's" is also a crime drama of sorts. The best way to describe this film is to compare it to one of Tarantino's better pieces, but without the violence and grit.
In general, the cast does an outstanding job. Liv Tyler especially shines in her role as Jewel. Honestly, the way she sells the role is just plain scary.
As I said above, I did not loathe Matt Dillon. That's the best I can say for him, although I would consider this to be one of the best performances in his career. John Goodman also does a fantastic job as a lonely police officer. He portrays his character with a pathos that renders his actions the center of nearly any scene he is in.
Paul Reiser, also wonderful, is scary too. Frankly, a lot of people in this movie are scary in one way or another. It's part of what makes the movie great. However, by far the best acting in the film comes from veteran of the screen, Michael Douglas. He is believable, he is real, he plays his character with a nonchalance that demonstrates how impressive Douglas's acting talents truly are.
The other element that really makes McCool's is the camera work. In other films, camera work is almost one of the cast members, but in McCool's it is a subtle aid to the rest of the story. The director must have gone through a dozen different lenses and used an equal number of other tricks to heighten the effect of each scene. For instance, when Matt Dillon's character first meets Jewel, we see her colorized in the manner of an old 1940s movie starlet. The skill with which the director uses the various camera tricks is extremely important because of the very nature of the film. Each section of the film is shown from the viewpoint of one of the male characters, with multiple different versions of the same scene appearing. The different camera techniques facilitate the director in showing the subjectivity of reality which is probably the highlight of the film's artistic efforts.
As always, there are problems with the movie. McCool's has a couple of minor plot holes that can be relatively easily ignored after the viewer suspends disbelief. Occasionally, the acting goes over the top or the actor fails to sell the role fully. But overall, this is a solid dark comedy with a lot of nice surprises and fun details. But I never, ever want to see Liv Tyler wear a leopard-print dress again. It makes her look like her father. Brrrr.
