Quicksilver - Soldi senza fatica

Let me start by saying that this is a must-watch for fans of 80's movies. A good soundtrack, Interesting costuming and vibe...but if you are looking for a solid plot, there really isn't one. Is it a movie about a messenger being under the thumb of a drug dealer? About a couple that is going different directions? About a girl looking for her way in a male dominated profession? About a family coming to terms with each other? Or about any of the other dozen or so themes? Is it a movie about trick riding and speed? A comedy? A drama. There are so many of these threads that it makes the movie drag. Focus might have saved the plot...but the acting...hoo boy. Jami Gertz swings back and forth with what might be a Jersey accent or a New England...then a midWestern. Bacon can't decide if his approach is confidence in vulnerability or street cool with book smarts. His relationship with his girlfriend lacks any level of chemistry. The only thing that was interesting about the two was an out of left field, dance/bicycle duet, probably thrown in to capture some fan-service after Bacon's Footloose success.

Overall, it is watchable but also mostly forgettable, with a side of ridiculous dialogue.

In 'Quicksilver,' Kevin Bacon is a stock market big shot who loses everything and ends up a bicycle messenger. From there, the film can't make up it's mind what on earth it's about. Drug dealers, rival bike riders...they're all here. This film just coasts around for awhile, but there's nothing interesting along the way. About the only thing this film has going for it is it's synthesizer score by Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks.

To be honest, it's some years since I saw this movie, so have forgotten most of the story details. However, the film now seems rather obscure and apparently not very well regarded, so I wanted to put in my two cents worth of praise for a movie that, while it may not have been memorable, was certainly entertaining at the time.

The story revolves around a hot shot stock market whiz kid named Jack Casey, who loses not only his own money, but also all his parents' life savings in a failed market deal / stock crash. Devastated by his failure, especially the effect it has on his father, he withdraws completely from the financial world, embarking upon a new career as a bicycle messenger. I enjoyed the unusual theme here, the disillusioned stock broker reverting to a simpler and (supposedly) more carefree lifestyle. Jack befriends his fellow messengers, including a guy, Voodoo, who's involved with delivering the goods for a sleazy drug dealer, and also a girl named Terri, who of course becomes the love interest. Jack and Voodoo plan a bike race, but there's trouble brewing from the drug dealer...

Other plot details? I don't recall them, but Kevin Bacon is adept in the role of Jack, the story catchy enough, and the theme regarding the fleeting nature of wealth always relevant, particularly as related to the stock market. Also, although I'm not personally a cyclist, I quite enjoyed the dashing bicycle sequences, up and down and across the sometimes hilly streets, of (I believe) San Francisco. Don't listen to the naysayers, it's a perfectly entertaining way to spend a couple of hours, and not just for the 1980's nostalgia.

Anyone who has a 6 digit salary would agree that the only thing better than have a great income is not having one...which is exactly what Kevin Bacon decides to do in Quicksilver. Bacon is a stockbroker, the best there is, but somehow manages to lose all his and his parents money. What happens next is that he decides that being a bike messenger is the only life he can have now. He learns all the bike tricks and can even do jumps. This may not be suitable for children since he rides around without a helmet or reflectors. Things to remember when you go on your next bike ride. A. Check you tires, make sure you haven't caught any debris in them. B. Make sure you have a nice hairdo so old ladies aren't offended by your appearance. c. Don't talk to dogs you don't know, stray dogs may bite you.

I liked quicksilver and still do today after 20 years of its release date. Instead of looking at Quicksilver as a bunch of losers who ran a bike, I appreciated the kevin Bacon part as a character who suffered from a severe setback, and found in cycling a way to overcome depression and become a loser. The initial scene where he goes on a taxi and paid the taxi driver to race a bike courier, show how fascinated he was by this "alternative life", representing more freedom, athletic performance, and no ties to an office or a company organization. For me this was the main interest of Quicksilver, besides its music, which is quite good.

As a negative point, I regret that none of the characters, followed a different path to its life, as a result of the quicksilver experience, and in fact they all dream of having a regular job, making more money, etc. In fact the script is light, trying to please a large audience, and I think the movie was reasonably successful at the time it was released. I recommend viewing it or buying the DVD.