Plot: What’s it about?
A convention is being held in small, but nice hotel and while there are many, many folks present at this gathering, only man really matters to most of them. A lot of smaller accounts will wander the halls, but the only one that really counts is El Kahuna Grande, or the one account that could make a company skyrocket just by giving them his business. The convention is for industrial lubricant salesmen and while many people are attending, we’ll meet just three of them. Phil Cooper (Danny Devito) is a worn out veteran of the business, who has more problems than he leads on and though he is very warm and nice, he is also very honest and blunt at times. Phil’s longtime associate is Larry Mann (Kevin Spacey), a hell of a salesman, but a guy who loves to drive a reaction out of people, usually in the negative fashion. Finally is Bob Walker (Peter Facinelli), the greenhorn salesman out on his first big mission, but he has more on his mind than lubricants to be sure. These three men have the task of preparing their room for the guests, warming up their finest salespitches ever, and landing that one account that could change their status forever. But there is more than selling going between these men and by the end of the convention, they might learn more about their place in the world.
This film was based on a play and as you watch it, you’ll know it. Three speaking roles are present in the movie and maybe five or so locations are used, but only one has extended screen time. As such, this means the movie needs to offer some tremendous dialogue in order to hold the audience, since no intense visuals will dazzle us. This film delivers that and more, and I feel this is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time, to be honest. I think the writing is excellent and the actors chosen seem perfect for the roles they play out on screen. There is a high level of chemistry between the actors and they seem very comfortable within their characters, which is of course vital to a movie of this nature. The dialogue delivery is dead on and I have to say, all three main actors give the best performances I’ve seen from them, which is quite a feat for a low profile effort like this one. I’m sure some will find this dull and slow, so make sure you rent this disc first, unless you have no attention span, in which case you’ll want to run away from this film. Universal has issued a technically sound disc with few extras, but the movie is strong enough to demand a purchase if you’re a fan.
This film was directed by John Swanbeck, who conjures up the perfect backdrops for the material found in this movie. I’ve seen some criticize his decision to shoot this much like a filmed stage version, but I think that was the right choice, since it allows the dialogue to take the spotlight. If Swanbeck used complex visual compositions or a ton of locations, the focus might have been lost and this excellent dialogue would have been for nothing. As it stands, we are able to just watch as the actors make magic happen with their lines, which is how a film like this should be, if you ask me. This was Swanbeck’s feature film debut and I amazed with the results, I hope to see him back in the director’s chair very soon. This film has three speaking roles, so you might think the film lacks because of it, but I think the actors present more than carry this film to success. Kevin Spacey (American Beauty, Swimming With Sharks) gives a robust turn as Larry and while he has done this type of role before, he does it better in this movie. Also giving a fine turn is youngster Peter Facinelli (Supernova, Blue Ridge Falls), who proved himself to me over the course of this motion picture. The real show stopper though is Danny Devito (Twins, Screwed), who turns in the performance of his career and shines like never before.
Video: How does it look?
The Big Kahuna is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This image looks terrific and while there isn’t much visual change in the film, this is a clean and sharp overall transfer. Despite the low budget nature of the picture, I saw no traces of grain or debris and compression errors were limited to some very minor infractions. The colors look bright, but not too rich and flesh tones seem normal and warm also. The contrast is in order as well, with acceptable shadow balance and a high level of visible detail. This film might only have a handful of locations, but they all look fantastic in this transfer.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is a dialogue driven movie and as such, you won’t notice much from the surrounds, though the mix is still effective in the end. There is dialogue, dialogue, dialogue, and dialogue present, with some music and minor sound effects tossed in at times. The music opens up the scope of the mix somewhat, but quickly reverts back to the front channels. But that’s the way it should be, so the focus isn’t lost and dialogue doesn’t suffer. The vocals are crisp at all times, with no distortion or harshness to be heard. The volume is well balanced also, you never have to adjust when music is present to keep a proper level.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
