The Death and Life of Bobby Z,also known asBobby ZandLet's Kill Bobby Z,is a 2007 American-Germanaction film,directed byJohn Herzfeld,and starringPaul Walker,Laurence Fishburne,Olivia Wilde,andJoaquim de Almeida.Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Groupreleased the filmdirect-to-videoin the United States.[4]Don Winslow,who wrote the novel on which the film is based, acknowledged that the screen adaptation was not successful.[5]
| The Death and Life of Bobby Z | |
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| Directed by | John Herzfeld |
| Written by |
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| Based on | The Death and Life of Bobby Z byDon Winslow |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Tim Jones |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group[2] |
Release date |
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Running time | 97 minutes |
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| Budget | $8 million |
| Box office | $413,454[3] |
Plot
editDon Huertero (Joaquim de Almeida) is a Mexicandrug lord.His daughter committed suicide because a drug dealer known as Bobby Z broke her heart. Consequently, Don Huertero is out for vengeance. In trepidation, Bobby Z seeks shelter in an American embassy. From there, he is handed over to federal agent Tad Gruzsa (Laurence Fishburne).
In order to get hold of Bobby Z after all, Don Huertero takes a colleague of Tad Gruzsa as hostage and proposes an exchange. Bobby Z knows Don Huertero will not rest until he believes him dead. Being worried sick, he bribes Tad Gruzsa. Now, Tad Gruzsa conceives a plan to deceive Don Huertero. He wants to make Don Huertero believe Bobby Z was dead without harming the real Bobby Z.
When the exchange is supposed to take place, Tad Gruzsa replaces Bobby Z. In his stead, the cluelessdoppelgängerTim Kearney (Paul Walker), a formerMarineand an inmate, crosses the border. During the exchange, Tad Gruzsa incites a gunfight and tries to shoot the doppelgänger dead. Even so, Tim Kearney scarcely survives. He eventually teams up with Bobby Z’s child, Kit, who is being raised by Elizabeth. Tad Gruzsa keeps on trying to kill him, but he fails time after time. Despite all his efforts, it is the real Bobby Z who is taken down. Tim Kearney, on the other hand, finds love (Elizabeth, played byOlivia Wildeas a kind ofit girl).
Structure
editThe films starts by introducing "the legend of Bobby Z", an immensely successful and famous marijuana trafficker, yacht owner and surfer, described ecstatically as an entity of almost mythical proportions by an old man, representing the contemporary folklore of theGold CoastofBaja California.
The film then goes on to describe the film's hero Tim Kearney, played by male leading actor Paul Walker.Expositionflashbacksand narrative by the relatively hostile FBI agents serve to portray Kearney as a somewhat reckless and uncontrollable, yet also likeable and brave character, who ends up in prison because of his former qualities.
When Kearney accepts Tad Gruzsa's offer, the audience does not know anything more than he does. Thus the film continues, following Tim Kearny as he successively collects information. The audience is never ahead of him. This and the fact that a great deal of the story has already happened before the hero gets involved, require flashbacks galore. As a result, the structure is highly interlaced.
The film ends with a few concluding remarks by the same old man of the Gold Coast that appeared in the introduction.
Cast
edit- Paul Walkeras Tim Kearney
- Laurence Fishburneas Tad Gruzsa
- Olivia Wildeas Elizabeth
- Jason Flemyngas Brian
- Keith Carradineas Johnson
- Joaquim de Almeidaas Don Huertero
- J.R. Villarrealas Kit
- Jason Lewisas Bobby "Bobby Z"
- Jacob Vargasas Jorge Escobar
- Michael Bowenas Duke
- M. C. Gaineyas "Boom-Boom"
- Josh Stewartas "Monk"
- Margo Martindaleas Macy
- Chuck Liddellas "Maddog"
- Bruce Dernas Hippy Narrator (uncredited)
Novel
editThe film is based on a 1997 novel of the same name byDon Winslow.[6]The novel was positively reviewed by several newspapers.[7][8][9][10]
See also
edit- Don(film series),earlier Indian film franchise with similar premise
References
edit- ^"Sony group playing pickup".The Hollywood Reporter.26 June 2007.
- ^"Sony group playing pickup".The Hollywood Reporter.26 June 2007.
- ^"The Death and Life of Bobby Z at BoxOfficeMojo.com".Box Office Mojo.Retrieved2009-12-22.
- ^"Sony group playing pickup".The Hollywood Reporter.26 June 2007.
- ^'In All Candor: Don Winslow on Savages, The Kings of Cool and Satori';CraveOnline,5 July 2012
- ^Winslow, Don (1997).The death and life of Bobby Z(1st ed.). New York: Knopf. pp.259 p., 24 cm.ISBN0-679-45429-2.LCCN96052202.OCLC36060008.
- ^Stasio, Marilyn (May 25, 1997)."Crime (reviews of several novels, includingThe Death and Life of Bobby Z) ".The New York Times.Retrieved2008-11-03.
- ^Taylor, Charles (August 5, 1997)."The Death and Life of Bobby Z".Salon.Archived fromthe originalon 2008-12-30.Retrieved2008-11-03.
- ^Chollet, Laurence (April 27, 1997)."Author Changes Tracks".The Record (Bergen County, NJ).Archived fromthe originalon November 4, 2012.Retrieved2008-11-03.
- ^Reed, Ronald (May 11, 1997)."It's a mad, mad, mad, mad chase. Review ofThe Death and Life of Bobby Z".Fort Worth Star-Telegram.p. 6.Retrieved2008-11-03.