Based
on the novel by Nelson DeMille. An army captain in the field of
psychological operations, who also happens to be the daughter of the
politically ambitious general of the base, is found murdered in a
bizarre fashion and two Army CID investigators are sent in to uncover
the whats and whys. Getting to the bottom of the case proves
difficult, as the reputations of many military people are at stake
and there is much in the subject matter of the investigation that
people want to keep undiscovered.
THE
GENERAL'S DAUGHTER is a slickly-directed and competently-acted
thriller that fails to be a good film due to the many similarities
with other military whodunits (primarily A FEW GOOD MEN and COURAGE
UNDER FIRE) as well as heavy-handed political statements regarding
the treatment of females in the military and the code of silence that
is so pervasive. The subject matter is darker than other similar
films of it's ilk, dealing with gang rapes, strangulation and kinky
sexual acts that seem placed in the film in ways that titllate rather
than educate. Keeping the film afloat are fine performances by
Travolta and Stowe, who not only work well together but are also
quite funny in their bantering relationship. It's certainly
watchable, but too much been-there-done-that and preachiness bog the
film down to mediocrity.
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