IMAGINARY CRIMES
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (0 to 10): 7.2
Date Released: varies (10/94) Running Length: 1:47 Rated: PG-13 (Mature themes, language)
Starring: Harvey Keitel, Fairuza Balk, Kelly Lynch, Vincent D'Onofrio, Elisabeth Moss, Diane Baker, Chris Penn, Seymour Cassel Director: Anthony Drazan Producer: James G. Robinson Screenplay: Kristine Johnson & Davia Nelson based on the novel by Sheila Ballantyne Cinematography: John J. Campbell Music: Stephen Endelman Released by Warner Brothers
In 1993's THIS BOY'S LIFE, the memoirs of author/professor Tobias Wolff were committed to film. Wolff's affecting story, a coming-of-age tale set in the Pacific Northwest, concentrates on the difficulties experienced by a boy growing up in a single-parent household. Also based on an autobiography (that of Sheila Ballantyne), director Anthony Drazan's IMAGINARY CRIMES explores similar terrain (both literally and figuratively--this movie takes place in Oregon). In this case, the central figures are Sonya (Fairuza Balk) and her widowed father Ray (Harvey Keitel).
IMAGINARY CRIMES opens in 1961 with Ray operating a series of sophisticated cons designed to keep his family fed and sheltered. His wife Valery (Kelly Lynch) is eight years dead from cancer, leaving him two daughters: high school senior Sonya and her younger sister Greta (Elisabeth Moss). Ray has never held a solid job, instead opting to run get-rich-quick scams. Although these have never paid off, Ray refuses to face reality, convinced instead that one day his ship will come in. Sonya, a veteran of broken hopes, has come to accept the bleakness of her life, much like Valery had done before her death.
The story is told in two phases: the "current" struggles of the Weiler family during late 1961 and early 1962, and a series of flashbacks framed as short stories written by Sonya. These chronicle certain events from the previous decade, both before and after Valery's death.
As an account of growing up in a family constantly on the verge of blowing apart, IMAGINARY CRIMES is often touching, and occasionally poignant. This is Sonya's story, not Ray's or Greta's, so ultimately the viewer's emotional response is determined by the effectiveness of Drazan's dramatization of the young woman's turmoil. For the most part, he is successful in toning down the melodramatic elements in favor of a more honest approach.
Oddly, some of the earlier sequences might have been enhanced by the use of a little *more* skillfully-applied melodrama. Until the flashback of Valery's death thirty minutes into the film, it's difficult to connect emotionally with any of the characters. That's a rather long time for an audience to be held aloof, regardless of the eventual payoff's impact.
The similarities with THIS BOY'S LIFE don't end with common themes. Harvey Keitel's performance echoes that of Robert De Niro in the earlier film. Keitel occasionally seems trapped by the restraint demanded by this role, which makes for a few awkward moments. In general, however, the actor acquits himself as the father about whom his eldest daughter says: "Never has a man less equipped for parenthood tried so hard."
With an unforced portrayal that makes use of her expressive eyes, Fairuza Balk (of GAS FOOD LODGING) is the real star of IMAGINARY CRIMES. The central question for Sonya throughout the movie is whether her father, a con man, really loves her and her sister--indeed, whether he's capable of love at all. Balk accurately and believably conveys the turmoil caused by this uncertainty.
Those finding the recent wave of coming-of-age stories to their taste will probably appreciate what this movie has to offer. IMAGINARY CRIMES is a difficult film to connect with, but once the connection is made, it rewards with an unexpectedly rich emotional texture.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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