Keanu Reeves Speeds Up!
Keanu Reeves is a man of many images. Most people probably remember him as one of the two spaced-out "dudes" from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Or some might remember him as that slightly spaced-out FBI "dude" from Point Break. His more die-hard fans may even remember Keanu from Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado About Nothing, or Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho.
Whatever the case, Keanu has earned the reputation of being a "Renaissance Man" for the 1990’s within Hollywood circles, capable of playing a wide array or characters. Just think, what other actor can you think of that could play a teen-age air-head, a member of the English aristocracy, an evil half-brother, and an anguished homosexual?
But Keanu’s greatest success has been his ability to establish himself as one of the premiere actors of our generation. With an attitude that is both rebellious and slightly arrogant, Keanu is the perfect representative of a generation that won’t put up with the establishment or status quo. But more than that, Keanu’s got style. He was grunge before grunge became popular. He was an outsider when it was to his benefit to be an insider. In short, Keanu is his own man, and his fans love him for it.
In his new film Speed, Keanu once again pushes the limit and shows another side of himself that we have never seen before. In this new action-thriller, he plays a LAPD SWAT cop with a reckless nature, a brilliant understanding of the criminal mind, and some unfinished business with a sociopath who has a taste for mass murder. The plot is simple - the bad guy has wired a bus full of passengers in downtown LA to blow up if the bus slows below fifty. Keanu has to save the day.
Speed, which also stars Dennis Hopper and Sandra Bullock, is directed by Jan De Bont, the cinematographer for hits such of Die Hard, Lethal Weapon 3, and The Hunt for Red October. Thanks to De Bont’s efforts, Speed is a non-stop ride. As many of you may have already experienced, Speed is one of those movies that draws in the viewer with all-too-realistic chase and action scenes. After all, Keanu actually did much of his own driving and stunt work. In fact, rumor has it that Keanu had to intensively work out during the past few months in order to be in shape for the part. But for a professional like Keanu, it’s all part of the job.
