Trees Lounge (Buscemi, 1996): Prince Charles Cinema, 8.30pm
A very rare screening for this wonderful independent movie that was Steve Buscemi's directorial debut. The film is also being shown on August 27th.Time Out review:
Tommy Basilio (Steve Buscemi), a no-hoper living in suburban Long Island, is
not exactly happy. He's been sacked for 'borrowing' money from the
garage owned by his buddy Rob (Anthony LaPaglia), with whom Tommy's girl Theresa
(Elizabeth Bracco) has now taken up. His family tend to regard him as a black
sheep, while Jerry (Daniel Baldwin), Theresa's volatile brother-in-law, is
anxious about Tommy hanging around his teenage daughter Debbie
(Chloe Sevigny). Small wonder Tommy takes to getting legless with troubled
family man Mike (Boone), trying to pick up anyone in a skirt, and
generally making a nuisance of himself in the unprepossessing Trees
Lounge bar. Buscemi's semi- autobiographical first feature as
writer/director is a beautifully low-key, disarmingly perceptive
blue-collar character-study, reminiscent of vintage Cassavetes in its
sociological and emotional authenticity. If nothing here is quite as
risky or inspirational as the late indie king's nerviest masterpieces,
there's still much to savour: a cherishably naturalistic, extremely
witty script packed with tasty trivialities and non sequiturs; top-notch
performances from a superb cast; a smattering of subtle sight-gags; and
sufficient drama to ensure that the overall understatement never
outstays its welcome. Crucially, despite the loose narrative structure
and amiable air of inconsequentiality, it's all held together, and lent
poignancy, by Buscemi's Tommy: irresponsible, selfish even, but endowed
with enough scrawny charm to allow us to care about his need, and
capacity, for some kind of redemption.
Geoff Andrew
Here (and above) is the trailer.
No comments:
Post a Comment