In the Soup (1992)

If you read this blog regularly, odds are you are into film more than the casual viewer. If you are into film, then you will identify and most likely enjoy this review of Alexandre Rockwell's 1992 indie flick, In the Soup.

Steve Buscemi plays Aldolpho Rollo, an aspiring filmmaker (who isn't these days, eh?) who has an epic screenplay, Unconditional Surrender, that he wants to make into his cinematic masterpiece - the one he'll be remembered for. Of course Aldolpho lives in a crappy apartment in NYC and struggles to make ends meet as it is, let alone has the money to make his film so he puts an ad in the classifieds, selling his screenplay. Joe, played by veteran character actor, Seymour Cassell, a big time (possibly ex-mob) hustler replies to the ad and wants to buy Aldolpho's script and help finance his film. Joe's methods of obtaining capital and his over-zealous lifestyle catch Aldolpho off-guard, yet for his love of the filmmaking, Aldolpho goes along with Joe's methods of madness. Joe's outgoing attitude combined with his paranoid meathead of a brother, Skippy (Will Patton) and girlfriend, Dang (Pat Moya) add to Aldolpho's squeamishness about becoming "In the soup" with Joe. Beautiful Angelica (Jennifer Beals) who lives next door to Aldolpho could care less about him or his movie, yet Aldolpho fantasizes about making her his leading lady in life and in his film.

Since this film has such a basic plot, I will not tell you any more, but I will say that the characters make this movie interesting and loveable. Steve Buscemi plays Aldolpho perfectly and reminds me of a time in my life when I was very impressionable and thought I knew everything about movies. Aldolpho is reserved and nervous, yet confident about his filmmaking and writing skills. Seymour Cassell is at his finest as Joe thanks to his over-confidence and playfulness. From the moment he meets Aldolpho, he impacts his life and makes him a more confidant person. Jennifer Beals plays Angelica with a great cold shoulder and at times she even makes you want to hate her for being so snobbish to Aldolpho. She is not easily impressed by Aldolpho and is very mysterious and off-putting towards him as beautiful girls often are towards the shy, lonely cinephile. There are also great small roles played by Jim Jarmusch, Carol Kane, Stanley Tucci and Sam Rockwell.

Besides the acting, the character development, and the story, what makes In the Soup work is the overall spirit of the film. Anyone who has ever wanted to make a film will sympathize and connect with Aldolpho. Anyone who has ever been in an uncomfortable situation while the other person doesn't have a care in the world can also agree with Aldolpho. Joe's lightheartedness and often youthful carelessness makes Aldolpho uneasy, while teaching him to not take everything in life so seriously and that the things a person wants in life aren't that hard to obtain. He also acts as a father figure to him and is taken back by Aldolpho's enthusiasm and passion for film even if he is a casual viewer.

There is an especially funny scene where Aldolpho reads the in-depth shot by shot, overly artsy, Renoir-like screenplay to Joe, who finds it boring and overwhelming after only four pages.

Through the course of this film, Aldolpho introverted personality and inhibitions begin to vanish and he eventually learns that films don't have to be complicated, artsy and full of symbolism. He learns to keep it simple and focus on the emotions that are exhibited by the characters on the screen and those that are felt by the viewer, watching that film.

Sometimes less is more and in the case of In the Soup itself, that remains true. There were even times during my second viewing of this film that I wondered if Alexandre Rockwell actually had a "Joe" in his life and that this film was semi-autobiographical.

What I love about In the Soup is that it pumps you full of dopamine and makes you feel good about yourself. Its lightheartedness is enjoyable and fun to watch. The characters, especially Joe and Aldolpho and including Angelica, help to guide this film into your heart and brain. Even though it is a black and white film and mostly composed of dialogue, In the Soup is definitely a casual film disguised as an arthouse film. That doesn't mean you should check your email, Facebook or Twitter while watching because like a good action film that you don't want to miss a second of, here the characters are what you don't want to miss.

4 1/2 Screenplays (Out of 5)

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This picture is for Blake!

2011-2012 Movie Season

In the interest of doing something different (and proving that I am not completely against modern films) I am going to give you a list of my most anticipated movies for the next year and a half. Here they are in order of release:

The Thing (2011) - October 14

This sounded like a bad idea when I heard about it but after reading script reviews and spy reports I am actually giving this more than a snowball's chance in hell - pun intended. I hear that alongside Joel Edgerton and the insanely gorgeous Mary Elizabeth Winstead that the ill-fated Norwegians are the main characters with 1980s style clothing and technology and that the Thing itself isn't (or shouldn't) come off as cheesy. Unless I see something otherwise that makes this look like a steaming pile of crap, count me in for October 14th.

Here's a bootleg trailer!

The Dark Knight Rises - July 20, 2012

Christopher Nolan and company are back and there's really nothing else left to say except, unless I'm dead, I'm there!

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - December 14, 2012

What can I say? I loved The Lord of the Rings trilogy and have complete faith in Peter Jackson to stay as truthful to The Hobbit as he did with LOTR while still making an epic and entertaining film.

Django Unchained - December 25, 2012

Quentin Tarantino's upcoming spaghetti western about a freed slave and a German bounty hunter (the amazing Christoph Waltz - Col. Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds) go on a blood-spattered rampage to free his slave wife from an evil plantation owner...'nuff said!

The Master - TBA (Late) 2012

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix star in an ode to organized religions (more specifically L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology).

I'll watch anything by Paul Thomas Anderson and especially after seeing some of the sets in person this past week on Vallejo's own Mare Island, I can only say that I can't wait!

For the most part that is it! Now, that's not to say that there could be a few gems I might enjoy here and there but the films listed above are all a must see - Unless I die a tragic death from head-on crash or flying off a cliff or getting trapped under a gas truck (that's the worst) or beheading due to falling glass from a truck carrying glass...

...like this guy...

  

...I will be watching these films on opening day; you can take that to the bank!

I will be back soon with another review for all five of you who salivate for more!

Shallow Grave (1994)

Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, 127 Hours and Slumdog Millionaire are films often associated with their director, Danny Boyle who is arguably one of the most influential directors of the 21st century. What you might not know is that Boyle's first film, Shallow Grave is an often overlooked masterpiece.

Three friends and roommates, David Stevens (Christopher Eccleston of Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) and G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra), Juliet Miller (Kerry Fox) and Alex Law (Ewan McGregor - who needs no introduction) need another roommate to fill a vacant room in their spacious apartment. After numerous perspective tenants, Hugo (Keith Allen) shows up and seems suspiciously too good to be true, yet ultimately, they let him rent him the room anyway. After not hearing or seeing Hugo for a while, David, Juliet and Alex break down his door, stumble onto his corpse, the heroin he overdosed on. They also find a briefcase full of money...a lot of money. The three decide to keep the money and get rid of Hugo's corpse. David, a mild-mannered, but ill-tempered accountant is given the task of removing the arms, legs and teeth so the body cannot be identified, and burying the rest in the woods. David begins to suffer from depression and the guilt behind the body and the money. He then locks himself in the attic along with the case of money and becomes paranoid of anyone, including Alex and Juliet. Two gangsters looking for Hugo torture people until they find the apartment; they break in, assaulting Alex and Juliet. David gets the drop on them, killing them and eventually burying their bodies in the same fashion as Hugo. The police get involved and begin sniffing around the apartment, hinting that they know something is wrong.



As usual, I will only say that it's up to you to enjoy what follows, as I don't like spoiling movies for others. First off, you may think that this is a standard paint-by-numbers "People-Find-Lots-of-Money-and-Don't-Trust-Each-Other" film which it is, however it is done with such fine technique that it is very satisfying and often subtly funny. It is a mystery/thriller but it is also a black comedy and as most black comedies the humor ranges from being very conspicuous as well as being subtle. There are times where you, the viewer may think you know where the plot is going to go and sometimes it's right where you thought. Other times, a curveball will come out of nowhere, catching the confidant and most jaded of thriller fans off guard.

This was Ewan McGregor's second film and shows off his acting chops, proving that he knows what to do with a character. In this case, his character is young, obnoxious, ambitious and even naive. McGregor ends up with most of the comic relief mostly due to the fact that the other characters are more levelheaded. With simply a few stiff strides from the kitchen to the front door as he hurriedly leaves to go to work, Eccleston lets the viewer know how tense David is as he verbally fends off Alex's annoying, mundane questions with quick, sharp replies. His subtle facial expressions also do his character well, as he is one of those people who don't have to say anything to tell you that he is tense and constantly thinking and analyzing every option. Once he disposes of Hugo's body and hides away in the attic, Eccleston gives us plenty of character development to ponder what his true motives are and it is with him that a lot of the intrigue and suspense in the second and third act of the film come from. Kerry Fox plays her part with that of a mother figure, who is grounded in reality, yet wants to have fun and get David to relax a little. She often is the one who tries to diffuse the banter between David and Alex while trying to diffuse tense situations as the characters' situation becomes more complex.

Danny Boyle shows that even long ago before many knew whom he was, that he knew what he was doing behind the camera. Others have said that Shallow Grave is very Hitchcockian and I can say that I think that is exactly what Boyle wanted and what he produced. Written by John Hodge, who had the daunting task of turning Irvine Welsh's novel into the Trainspotting screenplay keeps us interested in his characters while making us like them, become annoyed by and ultimately doubt them. Dialogue (as well as the music and cinematography) in the first act is very up beat and enjoyable and by the second and third act, everything turns dismal and suspenseful.

The cinematography by Brian Tufano, who also gave Trainspotting its own unique look, gives us great standard angles as well as some different, refreshing takes on cinematography in the thriller genre. Lighting plays a key role in this film as well: When David, Juliet and Alex are drawing straws to determine who will get the job of chopping up Hugo, their hands (and straws) are lit by the simple glow of their van's headlights. In the same scene, there is an oversaturation of red light that comes from the rear brake lights of their van which is duplicated in the entire frame when David ends up doing the dirty work.

Overall, Shallow Grave ranks among my top 25 films of all-time and if you are sick of contrived thrillers and plot twists that involve split personalities, clones, double agents and the like, check this film out! It may not have an all-star cast, explosions or CGI but it does have a damn good plot and characters to guide you through it. Remember that this was an independent film that was shot in thirty days and I have even read that the budget was so tight that during filming, many of the props had to be auctioned off in order for the crew to afford film stock.

5 Shovels (Out of 5)

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