"There is nothing basic about this multi-layered story that has more twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster." Kamal 'The Diva' Larsuel 3BLACKCHICKS REVIEW

"John Travolta and Connie Nielsen play the film's truth seekers, and each is interesting enough to carry an audience through an overly mechanical screenplay with little on its mind other than deceiving viewers." Kirk Honeycutt HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "A neat parlor trick of a movie, fast and exciting while it plays, funny and frivolous when it's over." Eugene Novikov ULTIMATE MOVIES! "A Rashomon-like thriller that entertains and challenges you to pay attention, to figure out its plot and to connect its clues." Roger Moore ORLANDO SENTINEL "Although mired in the flashback technique and bumbling at times, Basic essentially is a fun movie, surprise ending and all." Kim Morgan OREGONIAN "The film seemingly exists for only one solid reason: to cruelly play with, and jerk the chain of, every audience member ....." Dustin Putman THEMOVIEBOY.COM

"With its twists and turns almost spinning out of control, 'Basic' kept me guessing about whodunit until the very last second." Betty Jo Tucker REELTALK MOVIE REVIEWS "John Travolta is having fun -- a lot of it -- and that may be all the reason you need to wedge Basic into your post-Oscars film schedule." Vic Vogler DENVER POST "Travolta was finally cool again." Dan Marcucci and Nancy Serougi BROOMFIELD ENTERPRISE "While Basic is a helluva lot of fun, it's still pretty dumb. Perfect for popcorn." Chuck Schwartz CRANKY CRITIC "There’s some magic on display worthy of the great Houdini--in scene after scene, logic and reason vanish before our very eyes with a well-timed poof!" Chuck Rudolph SLANT MAGAZINE

Inside Thinking The story of Basic takes place on December 31st 1999. The setting is Fort Clayton. The country is Panama. In the nearby jungle, in the midst of a Hurricane Beth, a group of trainee soldiers under the command of Sergeant Nathan West are on what should be a routine training exercise. But is it?
"When I read the script for Basic I was captivated", says producer Mike Medavoy. "It is packed with dark, Hitchcockian twists and turns."
Co-executive producer Brad Fisher says, "What really sets the story apart is the way it builds on the twists and turns of successful military movies." Fisher explaineds, "You think you're getting a typical military thriller like "The Generals Daughter" or "A Few Good Men" and then it totally derails you, turns you on your ear."
"I always loved mysteries when I was a kid," says screenwriter and producer James Vanderbilt. "I knew that someday I wanted to write one that had many twists and had the audience guessing right up to the last minute." "And he made good on that promise," says Medavoy.
"Something potentially horrific happened to a group of people who have completely vanished and you follow a couple of people who are trying to figure it out," said director John McTiernan. "And it just keeps getting more and more dangerous until, eventually, the whole thing turns upside down and nothing that you thought was going on was actually true." A Casting Glance "Basic brings together two screen greats John Travolta and Samuel L Jackson who last worked together on the cult film "Pulp Fiction, a Quentin Tarantino film which garnered both actors Academy Award nominations. "We shared a big moment in our personal histories," says Travolta. "Pulp Fiction moves both our careers forward. When we signed on to "Basic", I was surprised it had taken us so long to work together again." And, he adds, "There's a naturalness when I work with Sam. I instantly become a better actor. He inspires that."
"We have a chemistry that works," said Jackson. "We feel it even when we're in a scene with someone else." Travolta certainly took the role seriously. Immediately he had signed on, Travolta threw himself into the task of developing his character Tom Hardy. "The role of Tom calls on John to do what audiences love to see him do, be sparky, mischevious and a little outrageous," says McTiernan. "Hardy is a tough guy and he's one of the DEA's best. He's clever, smart and can clearly manipulate situations and people to get what he wants," explained Travolta. "he is witty and has a confident air of sexuality about him and that required me to be at my fittest and sharpest." How fit and how sharp you ask? Well three months prior to the start of filming John worked out six days a week and shed 25 pounds. He also trained with the First Battalion 75TH Rangers at Hunter Army Airfield in Columbus, Georgia. But it didn't stop when filming started. He maintained his fitness regime and a nutritional programme throughout the production period.
Samuel L Jackson plays hard arsed Ranger Sergeant, Nathan West, a man who pushes his charges to the very limits of human tolerance. He has a fearsome reputation and watching Jackson in this role brings back memories of Denzell Washingtons Oscar performance in "Training Days". Director John McTiernan knew Jackson was the man for the role of Sgt Nathan West. "The character is a holy terror, really tough, but depending on how you look at him, he's either a monster or a good father who wants to make sure that his soldiers learn what they need to learn to stay alive." Jackson notes, "He's a hard guy to read. Some people will see him as a bully, but he [West] knows he has a job to do. He's got a group of people who need to be trained and he has to weed out the weak."
Connie Nielsen rounds out the big three in "Basic". The Danish born actress who now resides in New York plays Fort Claytons head of Military Police, Captain Julia Osbourne. "Osbourne is very emotional despite her icey exterior. At the same time, with all her experience, she's also very naive," says Nielsen. Her instincts keep nagging at her, telling her there's more to the story than she's being told. Finally it's up to her to solve the mystery." Unlike Travoltas Hardy, much of Nielsens performance as Cpt Osbourne is reactive. "She does a lot of her work without speaking," said Travolta, because her character is not someone who wastes words. Connie instinctively sensed that."
There's plenty of back-up from the support cast which includes Brian Holt ["Windtalkers" & "Black Hawk Down"] as Dunbar, Giovanni Ribisi ["Heaven", "The Gift" & "Saving Private Ryan"] as Kendall, Taye Diggs [The Band Leader in "Chicago"] as Pike, Harry Connick Jnr ["Memphis Belle" & "Independence Day"] as Dr Pete Vilmer and Tim Daly ["Diner" & "Made in Heaven"] as Colonel Bill Styles. "Basic" is directed by John McTiernan ["The Last Action Hero", "Die Hard", "The Hunt For Red October"]. The Director of Photography is the AFI and ACS winner ["Bootmen"] Steve Mason. Masons works include "Strictly Ballroom", "Red Heads", "The Tale of Ruby Rose" and "That Old Feeling". Part of the original soundtrack music was composed by Klaus Badelt whose works include "K-19 The Widowmaker", "The Pledge" and "The Recruit". The Story Sergeant Nathan West is a hard task master. Hated and feared by the men he trains, West has now gone missing on a training exercise in the jungle of Panama. Base Commander Colonel Bill Styles wants answers and quickly. Is West dead? What happened to the others on the mission? Captain Julia Osbornes attempt to interogate Dunbar, one of the two survivors, has been met with a wall of silence. Ignoring her protests, Colonel Styles calls in former Ranger turned DEA agent Tom Hardy. Hardy is under investigation by the DEA for corruption but he is a former Ranger who trained under Sgnt West. Hardy, with his background can get closer to the two surving soldiers and gain their confidence. Hardy has just six hours to find the truth and close down the case. Two survivors, two different stories. Is anyone telling the truth? It's a tangled web of lies and deceit that leads Hardy and Osbourne to a surprise conclussion. The Verdict "There's nothing basic about "Basic". It twists, its turns, it deceives. It will have you guessing and then second guessing right to the end. Clever use of flashbacks, good cast and a frantic pace makes for more than "Basic" entertainment. Put on your thinking hat before taking on "Basic", a fun, action film that's filled with surprises." The Cast & Crew

John Travolta Connie Nielsen Samuel L Jackson Timothy Daly Giovanni Ribisi Brian Van Holt Taye Diggs Dash Mihok Cristián de la Fuente Harry Connick Jr Roselyn Sanchez Georgia Hausserman Margaret Travolta Dena Johnston Nick Loren Cliff Fleming Steven Maye Jonathan Rau Tait Ruppert Timothy S. Wester Chris Byrne Curtis Ricks Charles L Fails

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Tom Hardy Julia Osborne Nathan West Pete Wilmer Levi Kendall Raymond Dunbar Pike Mueller Castro Dr Pete Vilmer Nuñez Pilot Nurse 1 Nurse 2 Helicopter Pilot Helicopter Pilot SCID Officer GI on the Tarmac Jeep Driver Doctor MP MP MP

Directed by John McTiernan Original Music by Klaus Badelt & Ramin Djawadi Cinematography by Steve Mason Film Editing by George Folsey Jr Casting by Pat McCorkle Production Design by Dennis Bradford Art Direction by Gary Kosko Set Decoration by Vera Mills Costume Design by Kate Harrington Run Time 98 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2003 - Columbia Pictures - All Rights Reserved Copyright ©2003 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved