ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE (United States)
A review by Mark R. Leeper in bullet-list form
from the Toronto Internation Film Festival
CAPSULE: The overly familiar story of a gang of criminals hitting the road. After initial success mistakes and internal tensions take their toll. The moral is, of course, that crime does not pay. What makes this one worthwhile is the fact that James Woods just sizzles. Also starring Melanie Griffith. Rating: 7 (0 to 10), low +2 (-4 to +4)
- Larry Clark, director of KIDS directs a script by Christopher Landon and Stephen Chin, based on the book by Eddie Little. - There is little variation in James Woods's screen persona, but he does it so well. - Mel (James Woods), Sid (Melanie Griffith), Bobby (Vincent Kartheiser) and Rosie (Natasha Gregson Wagner). Uncredited role for Lou Diamond Philips as Jules. - Bobby and Rosie are junkies. Bobby supports them with smalltime crime like robbing cigarette machines. When Bobby is almost killed Mel saves his life, then realizes he would be useful for an upcoming robbery. Mel decides to mentor Bobby and Rosie. He tells Bobby that a professional thief does not have risks. He has everything planned out. - Melanie Griffith plays a likeable gun moll. - Echoes of THE ASPHALT JUNGLE and of THEY LIVE BY NIGHT, among others. - Opens with bloody robbery. Some scenes are very, very violent. - Mel is dictatorial and gets angry fast. Also can be winning. - Mel sets up drug deals with uneven results. - Early on the gang is successful and the times are good, but it cannot last, and it quickly becomes clear that this is not much of a life anyone would want. - Woods has a very powerful screen presence. - This sort of story is very familiar. It has been done many times before.
Mark R. Leeper
mleeper@lucent.com
Copyright 1998 Mark R. Leeper
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