54 is an example of the most difficult type of movie to review. It is neither so atrocious nor so exceptional that the review virtually writes itself. 54 is mediocre on almost all counts: acting (with a couple of exceptions), writing, direction and cinematography are uniformly bland, inoffensive and completely unmemorable.
54 charts the meteoric rise and ignominious descent of Steve Rubell, founder of the eponymously named New York City night-club. Rubell yearns for fame and success, yet his only talent seems to be the ability to surround himself with beautiful people. As Rubell, Mike Myers is one of the sole bright spots in the movie. His portrayal is balanced and honest, showing us both the obnoxious and vulnerable sides of the character. His arrogance leads to his fall, but Myers allows us to feel some pity for the man. Salma Hayek is the other exception that proves the rule of mediocrity in 54. As disco-diva wannabe Anita, Hayek illuminates an otherwise murky-looking film.
Unfortunately, 54's protagonist/narrator is the stereotypical fish out-of-water naïf named Sean O'Shea, played by the abdominally gifted but thespian-challenged Ryan Phillipe. Furthermore, O'Shea's amateurishly delivered paint-by-numbers voice-over narration (the lazy storyteller's final recourse) is a constant irritant. Also, Neve Campbell as Sean's love interest is completely out of place: speech patterns, body language, even the clothes and hairstyle (obviously, the latter two are the fault of the filmmaker, not Campbell) are all far too '90s, and a jarring reminder that we are watching a movie.
Saturday Night Fever, made over 20 years ago, covers a similar era, and its protagonist, played with panache by John Travolta, is a much more compelling young man on a similar search for a more beautiful world in the night-clubs of the late 1970s. So I ask you: why settle for a pale imitation like 54 when you can watch the reel deal?
Dan Jardine
1. Studio 54 - Fifty Four All-Stars
2. Keep on Dancin' - Gary's Gang
3. Boss - Diana Ross
4. Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) - Chic
5. Vertigo/Relight My Fire - Dan Hartman
6. You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) - Sylvester
7. Move on Up - Destination
8. Love Machine, Pt. 1 - The Miracles
9. Contact - Edwin Starr
10. Knock on Wood - Mary Griffin
11. Let's Start the Dance - Bohannon
12. I Got My Mind Made Up - Instant Funk
13. Young Hearts Run Free - Candi Staton
14. Native New Yorker - Odyssey
15. Que Sera Mi Vida - The Gibson Brothers
16. Wishing on a Star - Rose Royce
54 vol.1
