|
Vincent Gallo's 'Buffalo 66' Manages To Be Both Charming And Annoying.
By Stacey Richter
IF YOU CLOSE your eyes and mush together all the indie
movies you've ever seen, eventually you'll visualize Buffalo
66--a gritty, interesting, annoying, charming and frustrated
little adventure film created almost entirely by one man, the
former Calvin Klein model Vincent Gallo. The shadows of Cassavetes,
Spike Lee, early Scorsese, and a bit of Godard crowd onto the
screen and duke it out for alpha-male status under the watchful
eye of Gallo, who seems to have controlled as much of this production
as is humanly possible. He wrote, directed, starred, composed,
sang, and apparently chose all the settings and costumes himself.
What a control freak! And the movie is about, surprise, a down-and-out
ex-con control freak.
Gallo has been showing art in galleries and acting in films by
independent directors like Able Ferrara and Clare Denis for years
while remaining relatively unknown. The intriguing thing about
Gallo is that unlike most Hollywood actors, he seems to have a
real, actual personality he's not interested in hiding. In Buffalo
66, Gallo plays a contrary, romantic, neurotic ex-con who
longs for the love of the unpleasant parents he hates. Gallo has
hinted that the story is based in his own experience growing up
in Buffalo, and has proved himself to be as difficult and controlling
offscreen as on. (After the release of Buffalo 66, he declared
that he would only grant interviews to magazines that agreed to
put him on the cover.) He talks trash about the business of Hollywood
and he names names. Gallo truly fancies himself a bad boy. He
reminds me of Courtney Love before she hired a team of publicists
to hot wax her image.
And so there's something sincere about Buffalo 66 that's
often missing from movies. On screen, as Billy Brown, Gallo projects
a sense of neediness masked by bravado so palpable it transcends
the slick conventions of Hollywood acting. (Though I feel obliged
to include the warning: Just because it has an aura of being real
doesn't mean it's not irritating.) Billy was an awkward class
nerd who has grown up into a fake-tough virgin. He longs to please
his parents even as he hates them for rejecting him in favor of
the object of their deepest affection, pro football. He's been
in jail for five years, but, in true Taxi Driver style,
he's informed his folks that he's working for the government and
so has not been able to visit. (Gallo also wears the '70s wardrobe
of the young Robert DeNiro, only tighter.) Since he's told them
he's married, he has to kidnap Layla, a little tap dancer in a
babydoll nightgown (Christina Ricci) to bring along to play his
bride when he goes for a visit.
Though Billy is the kidnapper, it quickly becomes apparent that
Layla is really in charge. Billy forces her into her car, only
to admit that he can't drive a stick shift. Given this, Layla
doesn't really seem to mind being kidnapped, and with pouting
sweetness agrees to act the role of Billy's wife for his parents.
Revenge is an age-old driving force in the arts, and in Buffalo
66, Gallo seems to really give it to his parents. Ben
Gazarra and Angelica Houston play the distracted couple on the
verge of psychosis without actually being nuts. They ignore their
son so habitually that when Layla asks to see pictures of him
as a boy, his mom asks, "Where's the picture of Billy?"
as though there were only one. Layla plays up her wifely role
to the hilt, saying Billy is the most handsome man in the world,
etc., while her "father-in-law" paws her and coos, "Daddy
loves you."
Ricci is very cute in this role, and has received raves for her
performance. She certainly exhibits an undeniable, wide-eyed princess
charm. Nevertheless, I found the part so underwritten that it's
difficult to attribute her pleasingness to good acting--the amazing
sparkly outfit she wears is equally captivating. Billy's life
is explained to us so thoroughly that there seems to be no room
for Layla. He has parents, a childhood, friends, and a history.
Layla has nothing--during this adventure she never calls anyone
on the phone. When they need a place to stay they get a motel
room, because presumably she doesn't even have an apartment. She's
almost like a figure in a dream, and in fact she's reminiscent
of the girl in the radiator in Eraserhead--a trapped little
doll who's very existence depends on the dreamer.
In the end, the film is all about Billy, and by extension Gallo.
This would probably be a better thing if Gallo had a brilliant
cinematic vision, instead of a knack for re-sharpening '70s film
chops. Frankly, it gets to be a bit much. Let's hope that
in his next film, Gallo will figure out how to leave in the charming
parts without being so annoying at the same time.
Buffalo 66 is playing exclusively at The Loft
cinema (795-7777).
|
|