Date: 24 February 2001 Summary: Rub noses with me, "Eskimo" maiden
In this Alaskan film, Joan Chen plays what is quite probably the last word
in Sino-Eskimo snow bunnies.
Eskimo Joan represents the same sort of Hollywood confusion about racial
boundary lines which saw Larry Fishburne play the Moor of Venice, and Jackie
Chan cast to play the King of Pop in an upcoming TV movie. (I'm kidding
about one of these.) Not to mention generations of Italian and Jewish
Indians, and more white actors in blackface than there are seeds in a
watermelon.
Joan is teamed here with Steven Seagal, quite probably the last word in
inarticulate and extremely violent tree-hugging Buddhists. Sort of the Billy
Jack of the Barents Sea. His jacket has more fringe on it than you'd see at
a reunion concert by the Buffalo Springfield.
Together, they try to build a world where an interracial couple can be happy
in an oomiak built for two.
A number of years ago, I spent nearly 8 seconds at a book-signing in the
presence of Michael Caine. For each of those seconds, he was extremely
personable. So it's a bit of a revelation for me seeing him playing his
two-faced vicious Hun of a smooth oil company CEO. Old favourite John C.
McGinley also appears against type as one of Caine's nastier
henchthugs.
Finally, there's Seagal's direction which takes his film on this ecological
walk through the woods which makes it all seem a little like Oliver Stone
after too many days trapped in a sweatlodge.
It's so ridiculous I actually found myself enjoying the whole thing quite a
bit.
company.
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