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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