[3.5/4.0]
Limbo, a term meaning "a condition of unknowable outcome", is the perfect title for this film. Not only are most of the characters mired in this state, but the audience is also thrust into it. This will appeal to some viewers, but it will undoubtably put off many who expect a standard narrative. John Sayles has a track record of being a master storyteller, and because he has established the ability to successfully construct an unconventional narrative, he is able to take risks in this film.
Alaska is different things to different people. For cruise tourists it is a picturesque countryside with quaint attractions. For tour operators it is potentially "one big theme park." For loggers it is a treasure chest of available timber. For the local people, it is a tough place to make a living, but it is a part of who they are. Joe Gastineau (David Strathairn) has lived there his whole life. He had a chance to leave to become a college athlete, but injury ended those hopes. He became a successful commercial fisherman, but a tragic accident deeply scarred him and made him abandon that line of work. He has scratched around doing odd jobs and lately he has become a handyman at a local lodge. Donna De Angelo (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) is there only temporarily. She is a lounge singer who is booked in Alaska for a year, and is currently working at a local bar. She is certainly talented, but a recording career never gelled, and now she is too old to expect her singing career to amount to much. Still, she feels enough passion for it that she would feel stifled doing anything else. Donna has brought along her daughter, Noelle (Vanessa Martinez), who has slowly drifted away from her mother. The years of continuous uprooting, moving between schools, and enduring a string of her mother's boyfriends has left Noelle friendless and disaffected. Because she blames her mother for these problems, their relationship has grown tense, although it is apparent they still care deeply about each other. These three scarred souls form the nucleus of the story.
When Joe and Donna meet, they hit it off and grow closer gradually. Although they have different personalities, they have a palpable chemistry. Sayles develops all the inter-relationships (Joe and Donna, Donna and Noelle, Joe and Noelle) with care and attention to detail. All three actors are outstanding in their roles. The standout is Mastrantonio, who takes what is usually a stereotypical character and gives it depth. She skillfully displays Donna's passion in the vocal performances (using her own impressive singing talent), and her vulnerability in her infatuation with Joe. Strathairn is convincing as the pensive, brooding Joe, a strong man wounded by self-doubt. The only flaw with Joe is that his character, as written, is slightly exaggerated, and his likability is overstated. Besides the main characters, there are many others who are interconnected. All of them are developed as important subcomponents, each defining an aspect of the overall theme.
While the first part of the story builds the relationship between Joe, Donna, and Noelle, the story abruptly shifts when Joe's half brother Bobby Gastineau (Casey Siemaszko) enters the picture. Bobby recruits Joe into doing him a favor, helming his boat for a simple run. Joe, assuming the trip to be an innocuous one, invites Donna and Noelle along. When the situation unexpectedly deteriorates, the trio are forced to abandon the boat, and become stranded on a remote, unpopulated island. The focus of the story then becomes their attempt to survive in the wilderness in hope of rescue. In close quarters, they are forced together closer than they would have imagined. Noelle finds a diary in an old abandoned shack where they seek refuge, and the story that unravels from her daily readings are a microcosmic reflection of the larger story.
The problem that many viewers will have with the film is with the ending. Without revealing too much, it is enough to state that it is an unusual conclusion based on the standard flow of typical dramas. Although it may be viewed as a gimmick, or an attempt at cleverness, it is a device that was carefully planned by Sayles. The ending is consistent with with the rest of the story, and it is even alluded to in more than one way, and thus it is an integral part of the film.
This is not a flawless film. It has some missteps when using generalizations to define several of the characters. However, the level to which Sayles aspires is not imaginable for most filmmakers, who restrict themselves to easily digestible stories designed for the largest audience possible. Sayles has the specific intention of making the viewer an active participant in the story. His idea is to provide enough material that a rich portrait is drawn with the characters on screen, and the viewer is allowed to fill in any remaining details themselves. By doing this, Sayles strives to create a highly literate film, but risks isolating the part of the audience that desires a simple passive viewing experience.
This film has a lot in common with Sayles' previous work, "Lone Star". Both have a rich tapestry of characters whose composite reflect the personality of the region in which they live. Both feature a primary plot element which is the most insignificant part of the story. In this film, the main narrative is merely a skeleton on which Sayles overlays a story about people.
Highly recommended. This film will definitely not appeal to some viewers. It will be a disappointment to anyone expecting a standard narrative. It chooses to minimize the importance of the main plot and instead, focus all attention on the characters. It is successful in drawing full portraits of the many individuals and the land in which they live. It is a typical John Sayles film in which he cares deeply for his characters and he tells a moving story.
(c) 1999 Murali Krishnan The Art House Squatter http://ArtHouseSquatter.com
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