'Be Cool' welcomes laughter, people of any status

By CHHUN SUN

Everyone wants to be cool.

You want to be cool. Your friend, your girlfriend or boyfriend, your professors — they all want to be cool. And, of course, Hollywood wants to be cool.

Just watch “Be Cool,” which opens today in movie theaters everywhere, and you’ll know how it is to be cool. Directed by F. Gary Gray, the sequel to “Get Shorty” shows that being cool comes in many forms, including sizes and shapes and personalities.

You can be a gay bodyguard who aspires to act and has an affinity toward cowboy gear and still be cool. Or you can be a man who looks into the music business as a way to spark a career of a young woman and still be cool.

No matter who you aspire to be, if you appear in “Be Cool,” you’ll look cool; it’s all about how you play your role.

In the opening scene, Chili Palmer (John Travolta) confesses his disgust for movie sequels. And there it starts, the little puns about movies, when ironically, he’s starring in one. But not even Travolta, who’s known for his calm and cool demeanor, can pull off this corny stunt. Unfortunately, those puns land in every few scenes.

And then there’s Edie (Uma Thurman). She is Chili’s sidekick, who lost her record company owner husband to a mafia-style drive-by. But Thurman plays her part with subtle humor. Her role doesn’t seem apparent when it is up against the other big actors.

The movie is all about showcasing different personalities. But it evolves around one person: Linda Moon (Christina Milian). She has dreams to make it on the big stage — and she does with Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. But, of course, it was because of Chili, who had to steal Moon for another record company. That’s how all the madness begins. But the madness commences confusion about why other record companies got involved and why Cedric the Entertainer and André 3000 of OutKast get involved. And Edie is also involved.

The Rock, known for body slamming wrestlers in his WWE days, takes on a character that is a surprise — a gay bodyguard. But he does the role with delightfulness and charisma.

Like his matches, he controls his scenes.

In one scene, he performs a monologue from “Bring It On.” With a high pitch voice and fingers snapping, he makes the audience laugh with surprise.

Vince Vaughn, who’s been a staple in blockbuster comedies, is also enjoyable to watch, playing Raji, a music manager who has the vocabulary of a gangsta from mid-1990s.

He has a limp walk, the slang talk, the quips — and he’s still funny.

Even though it has a simple storyline and stand-up comedy style delivery, “Be Cool” has the star power and funny for anyone of any status.