IN THE SOUP
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Date Released: varies Running Length: 1:30 Rated: NR (Nudity, language, mature themes)
Starring: Steve Buscemi, Seymour Cassel, Jennifer Beals,
Pat Moya, Will Patton
Director: Alexandre Rockwell
Producers: Jim Stark and Hank Blumenthal
Screenplay: Alexandre Rockwell and Tim Kissel
Music: Mader
Released by Triton Pictures
Aldolpho (Steve Buscemi) is an aspiring movie writer/director who has penned the 500-page script to a film called UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER. Needing money to pay the rent, Aldolpho offers to sell the script for a few hundred dollars. Enter Joe (Seymour Cassel), who, much to Aldolpho's surprise, is not so much interested in buying the script as in producing the movie. So, with Aldolpho's help, Joe sets out to raise the $250,000 budget - through a variety of crimes, including theft and drug dealing. While Aldolpho is uncertain about Joe's methods, his desire to make the movie overcomes his scruples, not only because he wants to see his work on film but because he wants to put his beautiful next-door neighbor Angelica (Jennifer Beals) in a starring role.
Obviously writer/director Alexandre Rockwell thought this was a clever script. I could not disagree more vehemently. I found the entire experience of watching IN THE SOUP to be generally unpleasant. I can count on one hand the number of scenes that were inventive, engaging, and/or amusing. Most of the film is a lifeless muddle, as confused about its characters as it is about its plot.
The initial premise of IN THE SOUP - an independent film maker trying to get his movie made - has promise. Recent pictures like THE PLAYER, MISTRESS, and THE BIG PICTURE have tackled this theme with varying degrees of success, but there's always room for another well-written, intelligent attempt at this kind of satire. For whatever reason, however, IN THE SOUP quickly gets away from this idea. The making of the film becomes subordinate to the methods by which the money is obtained.
Characterization is abysmal. Aldolpho is flat throughout the entire film, and, while Joe is certainly a lively personality, he comes off as a caricature. Jennifer Beals' Angelica is the only one with any degree at depth, but even she is wildly inconsistent.
The film was made in black-and-white, and I spent a little time wondering whether that was for cost or artistic reasons. While I don't have a definitive answer, given the general quality of the project, the former seems more likely. This is an art film to be sure, but it's plain that it was done on a low budget. Some of the comments in the movie about money and film technique may be reflections of real-life difficulties encountered in filming IN THE SOUP.
The ending is a real let-down, but, considering the rest of the movie, it's not a great surprise. Because of the generally poor quality of character development, I just didn't care about how things resolved themselves. A strong ending might have redeemed something from this mess, but it was not to be.
It's hard to deny that there was potential in IN THE SOUP. For a low- budget film, the cast is surprisingly good and the story foundation is ripe for a brilliant satire. Beyond those things, however, there's a virtual vacuum. Excepting a few witty dialogue exchanges and quirky moments, IN THE SOUP is a combination of a meandering script and rootless characters.
The script-within-a-script, UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER, is a masterpiece of worthlessness. IN THE SOUP is a case of reality imitating art.
Rating: 5.1 (D+, *1/2)
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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