This film has an interesting concept. It highlights the story of one frustrated man, Bill Foster (Michael Douglas) who is having the worst day of his life. When the story begins, he has already lost his job, and is stuck in a traffic jam, baking in intolerable heat. He leaves his car in the road and decides to walk. In his desperation to see his daughter on her birthday, he encounters one obstacle after another, and as his anger grows, he wages war with the world.
What makes this movie so poignant is that many of the issues he comes across are easily recognisable to the viewer. For example, when he gets hungry, he walks into a burger chain and decides on an appetising example from a picture on the wall. When it arrives, the burger itself bears little resemblance to the one in the picture. This, the viewers can easily relate to, as we all know that they never look as good as advertised! However, what sets Bill aside from the general public is that he demonstrates his frustration over incidents like this with a loaded gun! In doing this, he becomes the anti-hero of the piece.
Bill’s story is contrasted by the second storyline, that of Detective Martin Prendergast (Robert Duvall). It’s his last day as a policeman before retiring, and it proves to be one to remember. He is also in the same traffic jam as Bill, and sees him walk away. Later on at work, he keeps coming across incidents being reported involving a man wearing a white shirt and tie. He deduces (correctly) that this must be the same man, although no one believes him. While he is supposed to be desk bound, he sets out to find and stop Bill, as everyone else is too busy to listen to him.
Overall, this movie is very intense, and exceeding well acted. It keeps you (the viewer) on the edge of your seat as you have to know if Bill makes it home. On the other side of the story, you also find yourself urging Detective Prendergast’s colleagues to listen to him, and take him seriously! Definitely worth a watch!
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