Cinema Review: How I Spent My Summer

DIR: Adrian Grunberg WRI: Mel Gibson, Adrian Grunberg PRO: Mel Gibson,
Bruce Davey, Stacey Perskie DOP: Benoit Debie ED: Steven Rosenblum
DES: Bernardo Trujillo Cast: Mel Gibson, Peter Stormare, Dean Norris,
Bob Gunton, Kevin Hernandez

By any man’s reckoning, it has been a tough few years for one Mel
Colmcille Gerard Gibson. First there was his DUI arrest in Malibu in
July 2006, which gathered many headlines after Anti-Semitic remarks he
made to an arresting officer were leaked on the internet. Further
trouble would then follow for Gibson in 2010, when infamous voice
recordings of conversations between him and his then partner, Oksana
Grigorieva, were also released into the public domain, which opened up
allegations of racism, sexism and domestic violence against the
Braveheart star.

Though his earlier misdemeanour didn’t cause too much harm to his
career initially (his fourth feature as director, Apocalypto, went to
number one in the US Box Office towards the tail end of 2006), the
latter offence played a major part in the financial failure of his
most recent film, Jodie Foster’s The Beaver.

As a result, there is now uncertainty as to what standing the New
York-born auteur has in Hollywood. He has managed to secure a key role
in Robert Rodriguez’s upcoming Machete Lives, but that will come after
his third lead role in as many years in How I Spent My Summer
Vacation, which has gone straight to Video-On-Demand Stateside, where
it goes under the title Get The Gringo.

It has gained a theatrical run in the UK & Ireland, however, and for
those who are able to get past a frankly rubbish title, they will get
to see Mad Mel returning to the kind of role that he made his own in a
succession of films in the late 80s and early 90s. Sure, he looks a
lot more grizzled than he did in his action heyday, but Adrian
Grunberg’s directorial debut is as close as he has come to playing
Martin Riggs since his Richard Donner’s Lethal Weapon franchise came
to an end in 1998.

This is quite fitting, as 2012 marks the 25th anniversary of the
generation-defining original Lethal Weapon film, and though How I
Spent My Summer Vacation could never hope to hold a candle to the
adventures of Riggs & Murtagh, it does still serve as a reminder of
what Gibson can offer in front of a camera if he is presented with the
proper material.

Based on a script that was co-written by Gibson and Grunberg (who
worked with Gibson as Assistant Director on Apocalypto and Edge Of
Darkness), How I Spent My Summer Vacation has Gibson as a getaway
driver, who is arrested across the Mexican border following a botched
robbery, and subsequently finds himself holed up in an unorthodox Vera
Cruz prison.

While there, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young boy
(Kevin Hernandez), whose heart is of great importance to the crooked
head of the prison. Much of the action takes place while Gibson’s
character (referred to in the credits as ‘Driver’) is on the inside,
though it does eventually move out into the open for a typically
explosive finale.

Given his strong connection with Grunberg, and his presence as both a
writer and producer, it is clear that Gibson is giving his full
commitment to his latest project, and it will be a pleasure for many
people to see the Mad Max actor back in action mode.

As far as Grunberg is concerned, however, his first gig as the main
man behind the camera is somewhat unremarkable, as the finished
product that he has conjured up is ultimately a standard throwaway
action thriller, the kind that the aforementioned Robert Rodriguez
would usually come up with in his sleep.

It doesn’t have the exploitation edge of some of Rodriguez’s back
catalogue, but it does have an air of familiarity about it
nevertheless. Indeed, it is the charismatic presence of Gibson that
offers the main reason to see the film, although there are a few other
worthy elements to recommend.

Hernandez is a very accomplished young actor, who gives a very
authentic performance, there are entertaining supporting roles for
Peter Stormare and The Shawshank Redemption‘s Bob Gunton, and the
soundtrack by Antonio Pinto ensures that the film is finely paced.

Grunberg also handles the main set-pieces in a sufficient manner, but
the film simply won’t stay with you in the same way that Mad Max and
Lethal Weapon has done in the past. Still, How I Spent My Summer
Vacation is enjoyable fare while it lasts, which finds its
controversial leading man in fine form indeed.

Daire Walsh