Special Report

Critic's Pick: A Comedy-Thriller That Will Have You Staying Tuned

By Roderick Clarke, New York Times

"Special Report," directed by Rebecca Gold. Rated R. 2 hours, 10 minutes.

Next Fleet, the streaming service recently launched by the venerable Australian studio First Fleet Pictures, evidently believes that mixing genres is the key to competing with Disney Plus, HBO Max, Netflix and Amazon Prime. "Special Report," a romantic comedy-turned-action film by Rebecca Gold ("Maryellen's Fourth Wedding"), is not exactly fine dining, but it's a satisfying meal nonetheless.

Michael Vernon ("Lester the Legend") stars as Henry Fordham, the brash, handsome male anchor of "Morning Momentum," the top-rated A.M. broadcast on the ANN cable network. His co-host, the excessively perky Melissa O'Malley (Jacinta Sullivan, affecting a not-terribly-convincing American accent), also happens to be his fiancee, and their impending nuptials are an unyielding obsession of New York tabloids.

No matter how dour or depressing the news is, Henry and Melissa always seem to figure out a way to put a positive spin on things; television critics regard their shtick as unctuous (one labels the program "Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast"), but viewers can't seem to get enough.

Henry, however, is knocked off his axis when he discovers that Emma Woodhouse (Anneliese Porter), a television wunderkind from the UK, has been hired as the new president of ANN. Melissa looks forward to working with Emma, but what she doesn't know is that in the early-2000s, Emma and Henry had a brief but passionate affair during Michael's tenure as an American correspondent for the BBC.

In a meeting days after her appointment as president, Emma makes it quite clear to Henry that she still has feelings for him, and sees his engagement to Melissa as an "unfortunate inconvenience." Working for his ex-lover begins to affect Henry's on-air confidence, as Melissa wonders why he seems to be acting so differently as of late.

Suddenly, political and military tensions break out in Central America, and Melissa is dispatched by Emma to secure an exclusive interview with the dictatorial prime minister of Val Verde (Gold sure loves her 1980s cliches), despite fears that she may be kidnapped by anti-government revolutionaries. (Why the glamorous female anchor of a morning news show would be placed in such a potentially hazardous situation is a plot hole Gold hopes we ignore.) Sure enough, the rebels seize Melissa, demanding a $30 million ransom-and declaring her dead when the United States government refuses to pay up. Emma feigns sorrow over Melissa's apparent demise, but shortly thereafter seeks to rekindle her romance with the grieving Henry. The old passion inevitably resumes, but when evidence emerges that Melissa may still be alive, Henry must choose to-say it with me now-risk his career and his life for the woman he truly loves.

With less talented actors, this would all be quite tedious (and far-fetched), but Vernon, Sullivan and Porter somehow manage to make it all work. Vernon, with his smooth skin, flawless smile, bulging muscles and closely-cropped hair, is nothing less than the ultimate African-American sex symbol, and Gold (aided by cinematographer Douglas DeGeorge) bathes him in luminous light in virtually every shot. Vernon looks great in his designer suits, but Gold seems to have conspired to have him out of those suits as much as possible-for lengthy love scenes with Sullivan and Porter, as well as for the borderline over-the-top action sequences in the film's third act. (One can hardly blame Gold, as the actor's chest is admittedly gorgeous.)

Notwithstanding her valiant struggle to sound like an authentic American, the golden-blonde Sullivan is charismatic and charming as Melissa. The longtime star of the Australian soap opera "Dreams & Passions" would fit right in to an actual morning show; her timing and camera appeal would bring a smile to the face of any news director or producer. Sullivan also conveys real fear and resolve in the post-kidnapping scenes; in the hands of virtually any other actress, these scenes would veer into unintentional parody.

Porter, fresh from her award-winning, if dreary, portrayal of the Duchess of York in "Breakup: Sarah and Andrew," is clearly enjoying herself as Emma. With endless wit and sarcasm, Porter credibly establishes Emma as a figure to be loved and feared; her chemistry with Vernon is real, and their interactions do remind the viewer of the awkwardness associated with the return of a long-lost love.

Gold infuses the film with a manic energy. The love scenes are beyond intense; Vernon's intimate interactions with Sullivan and Porter-lips kissing pink nipples, fingers stroking silky hair, dark and pale bodies thrusting against each other-are so erotic as to make the viewer pant. The action sequences at the end are just as intense; Vernon is as much of a lover as he is a fighter.

"Special Report" will undoubtedly become a favorite for Vernon enthusiasts; it's quite enjoyable to see this great actor go from reporter to romantic to Rambo. It's not a great film, but it's certainly newsworthy.