ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE
Reviewed by Harvey Karten, Ph.D. Trimark Pictures Director: Larry Clark Writer: Steven Chin, Christopher Landon Cast: James Woods, Melanie Griffith, Vincent Kartheiser, Natasha Gregson Wagner
"Bonnie and Clyde" meets "Kids" in Larry Clark's second tension-filled work which, like his widely acclaimed "Kids" seems so realistic that it's almost cinema verite. Clark presents violence as it actually is: sudden, hard-hitting, brutal, vicious. There's nothing stylized about its ferocity and save for one slo-mo scene of a teenage hoodlum entering the site of a major heist, the whole account builds up steam almost without letup. "Another Day in Paradise," a title which is, of course, ironic, features the inimitable James Woods as (what else?) an off-the-wall, live-for-the-moment desperado who seems to bask in the glories of living on the edge despite his frequent roof-pounding, gut-wrenching expressions of grievance. This time around, instead of chasing vampires, he pursues money and jewels and though he says "sorry" before shooting one of his victims in the head, he appears to have been born without the slightest appreciation of guilt.
As the charismatic "Uncle" Mel, though, he is not without charm, a lighter side, a motormouth who takes a couple of kids half his age under his wing and acts as mentor to them. "Another Day in Paradise" pairs James Woods with Melanie Griffith, the latter in the role of his stylish, maternal girl friend who is unable to have kids of her own and who assumes a motherly role toward two youngsters who come into her life; Bobbie (Vincent Kartheiser) and Rosie (Natasha Gregson Wagner).
The movie is a natural for director Clark who published the book "Tulsa" in 1971, a tome made up of photos he took of himself and some outlaw friends between the years 1962 and 1971. After publishing four books and holding 50 one- person exhibits at galleries like the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney, Clark directed the instant classic, "Kids" in '95 which, like his current film, is done in a cinema verite style--and is a look at aimless New York City teens focusing on Telly, who deflowers virgins, and Jennie, who faces the consequences of one encounter with Telly. As with "Kids" and "Tulsa," Clark is again nonjudgmental, simply highlighting two teenagers who are like stray dogs, abused since they were young who pair off and find comfort, even love, in each other's arms.
Based on an unpublished prison manuscript by Eddie Little, "Another Day in Paradise" opens on the two young people making love, after which the hyperactive Bobbie runs off to the site of his latest petty heist, a storehouse of vending machines which he tears open to steal the quarters. Severely injured by a sadistic security guard, he takes refuge with the exciting uncle of a drug buddy, Mel (James Woods) who patches him up with a shot of heroin and prepares him for the big time. Together with Sid (Melanie Griffith) and Rosie (Natasha Gregson Wagner), the newly-charged criminals execute robberies, one of which turns out disastrous. The real fun of the movie rests in the activities of the foursome between jobs, and Clark is superb in capturing the exhilaration the young people feel when they are treated like royalty--taken on shopping sprees, plied with champagne, and introduced to one of the mid-west's emporiums for blues. During these scenes you're likely to discount the shady side and think of Sid and Mel as the sorts of parents you wish you had. They're super cool, they show high regard for their charges, they give them a sense of responsibility, however perverted.
While Clark is not trying to lay a morality tale on us, he does show the other side of the outlaw trade. When Mel turns from a fun guy to a somber, wrath-of-God malefactor, the ambiance takes a turn away from the pleasure of the high life to show the steep price that often must be paid. While Woods plays exactly to type--a male Judy Davis but far more dangerous--he shows us that even when crime pays, the criminal's lot is, on the whole, not a happy one.
The relatively unknown Vincent Kartheiser teams up fortuitously with Natasha Gregson Wagner (the daughter of Natalie Wood) providing gut-wrenching chemistry. "Another Day in Paradise" has witty dialogue for Woods, fine ensemble acting by Griffith, Kartheiser and Wagner, and best of all a relentless mood of anxiety and excitement. During its first half you agree with Rosie when she calls Bobbie "the best thing that ever happened to me" and with Sid when she names Mel "the best boyfriend I ever had." Later on you want to advise them to get out more often.
Rated R. Running Time: 110 minutes. (C) 1998 Harvey Karten
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