GONE IN SIXTY SECONDS (2000) ** For about the first three minutes Dominic Sena had me fooled into thinking it might be a quality film. How I could be fooled into that, already knowing the premise (Nicholas Cage has to steal 50 cars in one night) is admittedly an indictment of my reason. I must have been high on Moby or something. In any event it settles into being just what you would expect; for the situationally ethically challenged Cage even goes so far as to get his mother's permission and the whole thing is, of course, necessary to preserve the family. Lots of decent performances (Robert Duvall, Timothy Olyphant, Angelina Jolie) but the real star is supposed to be the exotic cars. The problem is that none are shown for long enough to fully appreciate them and the very coolest are hidden in the corners of the shots at the Ferrari warehouse. The Shelby Mustang is classic sleek but wouldn't be my headliner of the group (actually I prefer the Mach 1's of a few years later, even though they don't jump quite as hard), particularly in champagne. The action is fast, look at the closing credits for a near comprehensive listing of Hollywood stunt drivers, but the film works best when it's being funny. That's where Vinnie Jones comes in and steals the two best scenes without even sitting in a Maserati or Camaro.
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