Elephant White (2011)

Simply Perfect

It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I am assuming that this pile of dross was intended to go straight to the less discerning DVD market. It is exploitative, cliché-ridden, badly acted, badly scripted and the aforementioned monks are the only sympathetic characters in the entire film (with the exception of a couple of dogs on a refuse tip which turn in a very creditable debut performance).The only exploitation I witnessed was the depiction of Thailand as an immoral, flea ridden pit full of murderers, gangs and whore-mongers. I'm sure the Thai tourist board will pass on their thanks - though it's hardly an original depiction.Kevin Bacon. It has to be said that his credibility has been gradually slipping down the toilet - and in this he continues his downward descent. Most extraordinarily in a faux Australian- British-'Gawd bliss ya Meery Poppns' Dick van Dyke accent. At first, I had assumed his voice had been dubbed, I wish it had been.The violence is comic strip, video console style - this serves to further detach the viewer from any empathy to the characters or interest in proceedings.A local girl crops up regularly. Not sure why. All in all, think how far you could have got with the decorating in one and a half hours.

The country of Thailand has been engaged in Human Trafficking for years and has reached epidemic proportions. Now, director Prachya Pinkaew has taken a story written by noted screenwriter Kevin Bernhardt and posted it on the silver screen. " Elephant White " is a misnomer. Although it's name implies various things it's roughly translate to Spirit or Ghost. From this simple explanation audiences are introduced to our hero, Curtie Church (Djimon Hounsou) who is a professional and prolific Hit-man who has accumulating a sizable cash reserve from his clandestine trade. His impressive store of weapons is amply provided by his English arms dealer Jimmy. (Kevin Bacon) Nearing the time when he feels he can retire, Curtie is on his last assignment when he is enjoined by a fleeting but beautiful young girl name Mae. (Jirantanin Pitakporntrakul) During the completion of his final score, Curtie is annoyed by Mae who wonders why the Hit-man is killing in the first place. Curtie plainly explains it for the money, the girl informs him that other Bad men need his expertise and brand of justice. Curtie thereafter sets out to stop the Traffing of child prostitutes by eliminating those who deal in human flesh. With Jimmy's endless source of arms the movie escalates into high gear with numerous and explosive action scenes, while the philosophical reasoning is elusive. Still it is a good film, despite the low caliber actor in the lead role, Bacon is relegated to a subservient part but manages to keep the audience's attention while the movie makes it's obvious point. Human trafficking is still a lucrative trade in Thailand and will continue until it's ambivalent government takes action. Recommended, but troubling to view. ****

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning Curtie Church (Djimon Hounsou) is a professional hit-man who's been assigned to track down the daughter of a Thai businessman who's got caught up with a group of white slave traders. When he finds she's been killed, it turns into a revenge assignment, for which he enlists the help of Jimmy 'The Brit' (Kevin Bacon, with a surprising and quite good English accent) with his cavalcade of weapons, as well as the unwanted assistance of Mae (Jirantinin Pitakporntrakul) a young girl he rescued from the villains. But as events roll on, he finds he can actually trust nobody.Released straight to DVD under a cloud of hot air, Elephant White could well mark the downfall of selective Hollywood actor Kevin Bacon, whose Brit accent is the most impressive thing about this whole farrago, which should really say it all. It's certainly not his performance, or anyone elses, each matching the bland writing on offer. The film seems to be aiming at some kind of social conscience, highlighting the plight of teenage prostitution on the streets of Bangkok, but this is made to look as hollow as it is, in light of the apathetic, piecemeal story and inconsistent action, the main thing you're watching it for. Quite a mess. *

This film was not only well written, produced and performed, the action scenes were as good if not better than most movies of its genre. Djimon Hounsou has proved to be the next great action hero. Kevin Bacon has done what he always seems to do better than any other actor, he has a niche for picking great movies to act in, and then gives an impressive performance. The subject matter of White Elephant was disturbing. Choosing to make this film was in deed a small act of heroism. Society needs to be kept aware of the horrible inhuman atrocities that occur in the dark corners of our blemished world. Not enough has been done to stop human sex trafficking. This film is the greatest attempt.