Film suffers "Breakdown" under lethargic pacing, limp plot

The new Kurt Russell thriller, "Breakdown," is a prime example of how a film can drag on endlessly before finally breaking down after having nothing worthwhile to say.

REVIEW
	Breakdown 2 stars At Briarwood and Showcase

Russell plays Jeff Taylor, a man who sets off on a cross-country trip from Boston to San Diego with his wife, Amy (Kathleen Quinlan). Somewhere in the rustic but desolate expanse of the Southwest, their car breaks down, leaving the couple stranded.

Fortunately, they are rescued by Red (J.T. Walsh), the driver of an 18-wheeler who offers to give Amy a ride to the nearest truck stop to call for help while Jeff waits with the car.

Less than an hour after Amy leaves with Red, Jeff is able to fix the car and drive to the truck stop. But mysteriously, not only do the folks at the truck stop claim to have never seen Amy or Red, but after tracking down Red, the driver claims to have never seen Jeff or his wife.

With no one to turn to for help and so little to go on, Jeff must embark on a desperate search for his wife.

"Breakdown" starts off jumping into a claustrophobic feeling of dread as the Taylors' car breaks down and they are separated. But 45 minutes later, the feeling of apprehension has not dissipated and the impatient audience is still waiting for something to happen. The pace of the movie is maddeningly lethargic with large, boring gaps between scenes of any interest.

When Jeff begins to discover the whereabouts of his wife, the movie becomes a bit more interesting, but the plot reveals itself as being extremely shallow and limp. The second half of "Breakdown" digresses into a good-guy against bad-guy shoot 'em up, which by the movie's end proves little more than that the makers of the film have a sadistic sense of humor.

The best thing that can be said about "Breakdown" is that cinematographer Doug Milsome does a wonderful job of conveying Jeff's feelings of desperation and isolation by emphasizing the vast and empty desert in many of his shots. The audience is further able to relate to the man's growing sense of uneasiness.

J.T. Walsh also gives a creepy performance as a villain who could possibly be the devil himself. His haunting portrayal of a cold-blooded killer and liar keeps this movie from being completely unwatchable.

But the bottom line on "Breakdown" is that it isn't a whole lot of fun to watch. It is dry and pointless, with a plot that has been seen countless times before, and audiences shouldn't bother with it.

05-07-97