SMOKE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 8.4
U.S. Availability: 6/9/95 Running Length: 1:51 MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, mature themes, implied violence)
Cast: William Hurt, Harvey Keitel, Stockard Channing, Harold
Perrineau Jr., Forest Whitaker, Ashley Judd
Director: Wayne Wang
Screenplay: Paul Auster
Cinematography: Adam Holender
Music: Rachel Portman
U.S. Distributor: Miramax Films
SMOKE, the latest feature from JOY LUCK CLUB director Wayne Wang, tells five interconnected stories, each of which deals with a parent/child (or surrogate parent/child) relationship. There are no healthy, happy families here, however: this is about being a father or mother in the modern world, where single parenthood is becoming increasingly familiar, where too many teenagers are pregnant or involved in crime, and where shared experiences often bind people more closely than blood-ties.
This film opens in 1990 New York City at the Brooklyn Cigar Co., on the corner of Third Street and Seventh Avenue. The proprietor of the little shop is Auggie Wren (Harvey Keitel), a likable sort of guy who chats with the customers about such diverse topics as baseball and the vagaries of chance. Auggie has a series of regular customers, one of whom is Paul Benjamin (William Hurt), a down-on-his-luck writer who hasn't shown a glimmer of life since his wife was killed several years ago.
After leaving the shop with his day's supply of smokes, a preoccupied Paul steps in the path of an oncoming bus. His life is saved by a sixteen-year old boy who calls himself Rashid Cole (Harold Perrineau Jr.). As an expression of gratitude, Paul invites Rashid to crash at his place for "a couple of nights", if he has nowhere else to go. When his young savior accepts the offer, Paul gets more than he bargained for. Eventually, however, Rashid is off in search of his long-lost father (Forest Whitaker), but he's not gone for good. Meanwhile, Auggie is about to get an unexpected visit from an old flame, Ruby McNutt (Stockard Channing), who has come to see him after eighteen years to inform him that he's the father of a crack-addicted, pregnant daughter named Felicity (Ashley Judd).
At one point during this movie, Paul comments to Auggie that "to make up a good story, you have to know how to push all the right buttons." SMOKE follows its own advice, but without laying it on too thick. If there was an obvious fault with Wang's JOY LUCK CLUB, it's that the director tried too hard to coax tears. SMOKE is much more honest in the way it represents its characters and their relationships with each other. Whether we're watching a father and son who haven't seen each other in years, a father and daughter who have never met, or an unrelated man and boy (who don't even have the same skin color) learning what it means to be a family, we're given real-seeming people in plausible situations.
The dialogue, written by Paul Auster, sparkles. Each conversation has at least one memorable line, and it's always delivered in such a casual manner that it blends right in. Auster's creations speak and act like real people, and that helps us identify with them. The script has not "dumbed up" what the characters say simply to appeal to a wider audience.
One of the most fascinating moments of SMOKE occurs when Auggie talks about a project that has consumed him for the last eleven years: every morning at the same hour, he goes across the street from his shop and takes a single picture with his 35 mm camera. Over time, he has accumulated more than 4000 photographs, each of which tells a story. As Paul flips through Auggie's photo albums, he is startled to see a shot of his dead wife. The power of an image -- any image -- is reinforced, much as in BEFORE THE RAIN.
Fine, understated performances abound. William Hurt, who hasn't done much memorable work in about a decade, finds the right niche for Paul. Harvey Keitel puts aside his Tarantino-inspired gangster image to play a cigar shop owner with the soul of a philosopher. Stockard Channing is marvelous as one-eyed Ruby, Forest Whitaker is as steady as ever, and Harold Perrineau Jr. is likely to open some eyes. The most striking performance, however, belongs to Ashley Judd, who, in a small role, reaffirms why she drew so much praise for her RUBY IN PARADISE debut.
SMOKE, in addition to being the movie's title, is also a recurring device. It seems that everyone in this film smokes. Puffing on a cigarette or cigar is a way to relax and relate to one another. It's a conversation-starter or stopper, depending on the situation. It motivates two unselfish transfers of money, each of which costs more in emotional currency than in actual cash. No matter what's happening in this film, smoke is always there, swirling through the air.
Small, character-based films like this are easily lost in the press of mainstream summer movies. Yet for those seeking an alternative to Bruce Willis dying hard, Mel Gibson displaying his brave heart, Drew Barrymore and Chris O'Donnell going mad with love, or a bunch of people getting dressed up in costumes to prove that Batman is forever, SMOKE is the perfect choice. Its warm, pleasant glow may remind you of just how relaxing some summer experiences can be.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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