At the end of last week's hysterically funny and well-crafted episode (which I missed with good reason – tickets to Game 4 of the World Series), Vince raised a celebratory glass and said, "To things being back on track." Well, it didn't take very long for the good vibrations to come to a screeching halt. As filming for "Smoke Jumpers" commenced, Vince was introduced to a variety of new and difficult personalities that he will apparently need to contend with during his comeback project.
It was interesting to see Vince nervous and wary of his return to filmmaking. Of course, it didn't help that he was going to be working with the notoriously prickly Jason Patric. The actor, known for an over-the-edge dedication to his craft, was able to poke a little fun at his image as he tousled with Vince over lines and banana cream pie. (I loved when he joked with Vince about being offered "Aquaman 2" when in fact, he famously picked up the reins from Keanu Reeves in the laughable sequel to "Speed," set on a cruise ship). Is the director really just handing the film over to Jason, as he suggested to Vince, or is Jason just getting away with aggravated assault of a script? Either way, it looks like it is going to be a long shoot now that Vince has called him out.
While Vince and the boys got back to some movie-making magic, Ari tried to make a little magic of his own for an old friend facing tough times. Ari's former co-worker Andrew Klein (Gary Cole) had come up in the early days with Ari, but the two ended up taking different paths with Ari hitting pay dirt and Andrew underachieving career-wise. Andrew's request to Ari for a loan gave Ari the idea to actually buy his cash-strapped but viable agency. Now Ari has to shift Barbara's preconceived notions about Andrew to make it happen. Maybe it is just me, but there is something about Gary Cole that always has me thinking the characters he plays are up to no good. He is a truly skilled actor, but he conveys such an untrustworthy undertone that it is hard not to doubt him.
Other good moments tonight:
- Drama's unsolicited acting advice, and his comparison of Jason Patric's behavior to a scene-stealing Andrew Shue.
- Turtle stealing Jason Patric's chair back
- Drama hiding the chair back in Jason's trailer and leaving him a little unwelcome gift to boot. (Jason's reaction to it was priceless too)
- Drama proposing to tell off Jason Patric and instead complimenting his performance in "Narc
I'm curious to see how things progress as the shoot continues and Ari tries to groom Andrew for greatness. Will the fates take another turn for Ari and will Vince survive "Smoke Jumpers?"
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At the end of last week's hysterically funny and well-crafted episode, Vince raised a celebratory glass and said, "To things being back on track." Well, it didn't take very long for the good vibrations to come to a screeching halt. As filming for "Smoke Jumpers" commenced, Vince was introduced to a variety of new and difficult personalities that he will apparently need to contend with during his comeback project.
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