review by Rick Dabagian Patron
Buffalo '66 1998
Watched Jul 27, 2012
Rick Dabagian’s review:
This isn't a very good film but Gallo is so damn watchable regardless of what's going on around him. There are plenty of good scenes and even some great ones, but it's all a bit messy.
Gallo plays Billy Brown, freshly out of prison, who decides to kidnap Christina Ricci's character and pose her as his wife on a visit with his parents who didn't know he was in prison.
I think this is the first Gallo movie I've seen. I loved him as an actor but I wish the movie was more refined(maybe he gets better in his follow ups, but it doesn't look like he ever had much of a hit in the future). There was a lot of potential but a small budget might have gotten in the way. Or more likely the fact that Gallo doesn't seem to seek much input or help from anyone else. And I can imagine that the movie is a lot more powerful if you have the same insight as Gallo, but unfortunately there isn't much that he conveys to the viewer.
Still, the movie is funny at times, has some interesting characters, and it has Gallo on screen a lot.
Love this movie. The entire cast is great (that sequence at his parents house is amazing!) but Gallo makes it for me. This is definitely the best thing I've ever seen him in; too bad his follow up directorial effort, The Brown Bunny, pretty much sucked...erm, no pun intended.
I was reading about Brown Bunny this morning, in relation to his little feud with Ebert. It's streaming on Netflix so I'll probably check it out when I'm looking for something to watch casually.
That sequence is great, hilarious too. I think the opening scene and his first line was my favorite. He looks so menacing and hearing him speak for the first time in that meek voice asking the guard to use the bathroom was great. But after that the character is all over the place, and repeating lines started to get on my nerves a little.
I'm also interested in seeing Essential Killing and especially 2 Days in New York(which is probably a small cameo but he seems perfect for that movie)
Yeah, when the hell is that 2 Days going to get released?! I was expecting it weeks ago. :/
I actually want to see Promises Written in Water. Sounds like something I would like. I'll have to check Netflix when I get home to see if it's there.
That one sounds interesting too.
Idk about 2 Days but I saw in on-demand this weekend for like $12; the official website shows it opening Aug 10th