subUrbia (1996) Giovanni Ribisi, Steve Zahn, Amie Carey, Samia Shoaib, Ajay Naidu, Nicky Katt, Jayce Bartok, Parker Posey, Dina Spybey. Directed by Richard Linklater. 118 minutes. Rated R, 3 stars (out of five stars)
Review by Ed Johnson-Ott NUVO Newsweekly www.nuvo-online.com/film/ Archive reviews at http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Edward+Johnson-ott
"I can do anything I want just as long as I don't care about the results. " That is the declaration of freedom, or admission of defeat, made by 20 year old Jeff as he stands in the parking lot outside a convenience store. Jeff, played by Giovanni Ribisi (Phoebe's brother on "Friends",) is the intellectual member of a group of young people who do nothing in particular for two hours in "subUrbia", the latest film from Richard Linklater ("Slacker," "Dazed And Confused," "Before Sunrise".) Working from a screenplay by Eric Bogosian ("Talk Radio") based on his off- Broadway play, "subUrbia" is a film both repellent and fascinating. The movie is a detailed portrait of emptiness; a character study of people with little character. SubUrbia reeks of hopelessness and wasted lives, yet it's difficult to take your eyes off the screen. You care about these people, even if they don't.
Eric Bogosian is renown for bombastic, talky scripts filled with anger and self-righteousness and subUrbia is no exception. Boy, do these guys talk! Every night they gather outside the Circle A (just like the symbol for anarchy – that Bogosian is so clever) convenience store, drinking, squabbling, spouting existential gibberish and trying the patience of Nazeer (Ajay Naidu) and Pakeesa (Samia Shoaib,) the Pakistani couple who manage the store. Nazeer, an engineering student working hard to achieve the American dream, is the moral guardian of the story as he repeatedly confronts the listless group and challenges their nihilistic lifestyles. "You people are so stupid," he shouts in utter exasperation, "You throw everything away." In return, he receives threats and racist insults from surly drunk Tim (Nicky Katt,) who proclaims "I'm an American. I'm owed something."
SubUrbia takes place over the course of one night outside the Circle A. The usual group is there. Jeff, seeker of truth who lives in a pup tent in his parent's garage; Tim, a Fonzie type who sliced off the tip of his finger to get out of the military, and Buff (Steve Zahn, the blonde from "That Thing You Do") a loud, stupid party-type who is prone to sudden moves of manic energy. On this night, the group is waiting for the arrival of Pony (Jayce Bartok,) an old pal whose rock band has became an MTV flavor of the day. The boys are joined by Sooze (Amie Carey,) performance artist wanna-be and Jeff's girlfriend, and Bee-Bee (Dina Spybey,) Sooze's deeply depressed, fresh-out-of-rehab pal.
Pony shows up in a limo, along with his personal assistant Erica (Parker Posey,) and a night of drinking, talking, sex, talking, eating, talking, wacky hijinks, talking, violence and talking begins. There is action of sorts. Several of the group go for a limo ride. There's a walk in the woods and some sexual activity in a van, but mostly everyone just keeps jabbering. Oddly enough, the film only feels real during the long stretches of endless chatter. The action scenes feel inserted, mostly because it's hard to imagine these people actually doing anything. Towards the end of the film, Bogosian throws in a couple of incidents to bring the movie to a climax. Even these trumped up moments of drama become anti-climatic, just like the lives of these characters.
So why am I giving this film a qualified recommendation? Partly because of the acting. Giovanni Ribisi is compelling as the self-important, pontificating Jeff. As tiresome as his monologues become, Ribisi does a fine job of portraying the pain behind them. Jeff is annoying as hell, but you care about the guy. Parker Posey is a breath of fresh air as Pony's personal assistant; her optimism, tempered though it may be, provides a much-needed counterpoint to the cynicism of the others. Finally, Ajay Naidu has a commanding presence as the manager of the Circle A. His moral outrage, coupled with the frustration of being an eternal outsider, is both palpable and important. He voices the scorn that most viewers will feel watching these young people wasting the precious gift of life.
"SubUrbia" is a frustrating film. Bogosian's script is filled with contempt for its characters, while Linklater's direction shows clear affection for the same people. Perhaps that's why the movie is so fascinating. We all know people like those showcased in "subUrbia". They may drive us crazy, but they still matter. Maybe that's all "subUrbia" has to say and maybe that's all it needs to say.
Copyright 1997, Ed Johnson-Ott
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