SIMPATICO A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2000 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): * 1/2
The fundamental requirement of a director is that his actors should never appear to be such. In SIMPATICO, based on a play by Sam Shepard, director Matthew Warchus is never able to turn his talented cast into anything approaching real characters. The movie has many an interesting vignette, but never do his actors become flesh-and-blood characters. Instead, the actors strut their stuff and show off their craft but nothing more.
Maybe it's because this play isn't suitable material for a motion picture, or maybe it's because Warchus, whose background is as a stage director, doesn't understand the needs of the cinema. Whatever the reason, SIMPATICO just limps tediously along until the ending credits put it out of its misery.
The story revolves around a decades-old horse racing scam. As a Dumpster Dan of an alcoholic, Nick Nolte plays a loser named Vinnie. Vinnie has the goods in the form of proof of the scam, which he uses to harass his old co-conspirators.
As the wealthy, cigar-chomping Carter, Jeff Bridges plays a Kentucky horse farm owner who's still scamming his way through life. Sharon Stone plays Carter's boozed up wife, Rosie.
Catherine Keener, who can playing working-class types better than just about anyone, is Cecilia, a Payless store clerk, who is Vinnie's girlfriend -- well, kind of. Vinnie is such a filthy, no-account that it's hard to see how anyone could tolerate him for more than a few moments. When pressed, she does admit to kissing him, but only once.
Completely wasted in the picture is Albert Finney as the race commissioner who long ago was set up by Carter and Company.
The only modest tension in the film involves Carter's sale of a soon-to-be-worthless race horse named Simpatico. Lacking any sustained momentum, the movie just ends. Just before the ending, the story interjects a completely predictable, but nevertheless ridiculous, little melodrama. It's the type of pseudo-tragedy that will leave you murmuring to yourself, "Oh, come on!"
SIMPATICO runs 1:46. It is rated R for some strong sexuality and for language and would be acceptable for older teenagers.
Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
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