by MARK SLUTSKY

You may have some preconceived notions about the phenomenon known as “déjà vu.” That it’s somehow psychological, or maybe neurological in nature, like a brain hiccup. Maybe it’s like in The Matrix, which posited that it occurred when reality encountered a glitch and repaired itself.

Whatever you think, if you have any interest in this perennial mystery, then you’ve probably been anticipating Tony Scott’s new film, Déjà Vu, with some interest. After all, the poster even promises “If you thought it was just a trick of the mind, prepare yourself for the truth.” The trailer even implies some sort of government cover-up. But, sad to say, if you’re looking for the straight dope, you won’t find it in Déjà Vu, a film which, despite its promise, does not feature one instance of a character experiencing déjà vu, or really even having a conversation about it.

So there aren’t any cosmic revelations to be had, but despite the misleading marketing, how does the movie stack up as pure entertainment? Compared to Tony Scott’s other recent work, like the brain-meltingly insane Domino, Déjà Vu is actually somewhat restrained—for a Tony Scott movie about time travel and terrorism in post-Katrina New Orleans, that is, so that might not be saying much.

Denzel Washington stars as NOLA ATF agent Doug Carlin, who, investigating a deadly ferry bombing, is recruited into a top-secret spy agency super-team headed by Val Kilmer with access to a futuristic device that allows them to view the past “live,” as it happened four days before. When Washington falls for sexy Paula Patton, whose murder is somehow linked to the bombing, he becomes obsessed with using the machine to change the past and save her life.

Scott’s richly saturated colours and magnificently flashy camerawork are on display here, and he’s definitely in some weird way an artist—no one else can make explosions look so sumptuous. But for a thriller, Déjà Vu thrills about as much as it enlightens. Despite a semi-interesting sequence where Washington uses time-travel goggles to pursue a car four days in the past on a crowded highway (it’s complicated), most of the suspense in the movie is rote. You’ve seen it all before.

Déjà Vu opens this Friday, Nov. 24

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