THE MUSIC OF CHANCE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 6.0
Date Released: varies Running Length: 1:40 Rated: R (Language, mature themes, violence)
Starring: Mandy Patinkin, James Spader, M. Emmet Walsh, Charles Durning, Joel Grey Director: Philip Haas Producers: Frederick Zollo and Dylan Sellers Screenplay: Philip Haas and Belinda Haas based on the novel by Paul Auster Music: Phillip Johnston Released by I.R.S Releasing and Trans Atlantic Entertainment
On the way to New York City, James Nashe (Mandy Patinkin) stops by the side of the road to offer a lift to a beat-up and bedraggled stranger. This man turns out to be Jack Pozzi (James Spader), a professional gambler. As the two get to talking, Pozzi tells Nashe of a recent robbery that lost him the ten thousand dollars he was going to use in an upcoming "sure thing" poker game. Intrigued by the idea of some quick, easy money, Nashe offers Pozzi a proposition. He'll advance the ten thousand if all profits get split fifty-fifty. The deal is struck and the two are off to the rural Pennsylvania residence of Flower and Stone (Charles Durning and Joel Grey), where the games begin.
THE MUSIC OF CHANCE is a film of many levels. At its most literal, it tells the story of a poker game and its consequences, which include building a ten-thousand stone wall. However, those that choose to see this movie on that level only will find the production a rather dry and stale experience. While final scene, dripping with meaning, gives the picture closure, very little is resolved, and there are a lot of questions left unanswered.
Peel back the straightforward plot and take a peek at what lies just beneath it. There you will find other questions, but these are of a far more imposing and thought-provoking nature. THE MUSIC OF CHANCE explores how one moment can forever alter--and perhaps destroy--lives. It also reinforces that old saw that luck is too capricious a force to trust.
At the center of the story are three characters. James Nashe is the basic "nice guy" who believes in honoring obligations regardless of the cost. He is also willing to accept far more of the blame than he deserves. On the other hand, his mismatched partner, Jack Pozzi, is unwilling to accept the blame for anything; he would rather shift it to fate, chance, or anything else he can make a connection with. Calvin Murks (M. Emmet Walsh) represents the crusty authority that keeps these two very different men together in a union that neither wants nor can deny.
Metaphors abound, from the "wailing wall" to the "City of the World" being built by Willie Stone. In fact, there's so much symbolism that little in this movie has a single meaning. There are times when the screenplay tries too hard to be intellectual, spouting such nonsense as prime numbers having souls, but these isolated instances in no way detract from the deeper meaning of the overall story.
Character motivation and interaction are driving forces, and necessary to understanding any of what happens during THE MUSIC OF CHANCE. As obscure as some of the plot may be, Jack and James are completely understandable. Calvin Murks starts out as something of an enigma, but as the film progresses, clues about his real nature slip out.
James Spader, cast against type, is completely believable as the unsavory and difficult-to-like Jack. M. Emmet Walsh does his usual "good ol' boy" routine with a nasty, sadistic twist--something he presents in a subtle-yet-distinctive manner. The standout, however, is Mandy Patinkin who, with little fanfare, captures our attention and sympathy with his portrayal of James Nashe, the man trapped and battered by fate's cruel whims.
The film's conclusion is it's greatest weakness. Aside from being relatively predictable, it isn't entirely satisfactory. Movies such as this don't have to wrap up all their disparate plot threads for the whole to come together. Nevertheless, THE MUSIC OF CHANCE might have benefitted from a little more certainty about some of what goes on, and how it all ends up.
THE MUSIC OF CHANCE did not receive wide release because, in spite of a well-known cast, it is not a movie for mass consumption. After all, how many people out for an evening's light entertainment are going to get excited about an occasionally-pompous, intellectual film about poker and wall building? Nevertheless, as is often the case with movies such as this, there's more to THE MUSIC OF CHANCE than can be seen with the first casual glance. An investment of time is needed and, for the most part, rewarded.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
.
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews