BLUE IN THE FACE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 8.2
United States, 1995 U.S. Availability: 9/95-10/95 (limited) Running Length: 1:25 MPAA Classification: R (Mature themes, nudity, profanity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Harvey Keitel, Giancarlo Esposito, Jim Jarmusch, Lou Reed, Mel Gorham, Stephen Gevedon, Jose Zuniga, Victor Argo, Roseanne, Michael J. Fox Directors: Wayne Wang and Paul Auster Producers: Harvey Keitel, Harvey Weinstein, and Bob Weinstein Scenarios developed by Wayne Wang, Paul Auster, and the actors Cinematography: Adam Holender Music: John Lurie U.S. Distributor: Miramax Films
While filming SMOKE, writer Paul Auster and director Wayne Wang became aware that there was a wealth of untapped potential in the secondary characters. So, after devising a number of thumbnail sketches for scenes, they approached Miramax to request funding for a second movie. The outcome is BLUE IN THE FACE, a low-budget companion piece to SMOKE that was filmed in less than a week.
BLUE IN THE FACE had no script and the direction by Auster and Wang was minimal. This resulted in an improvisational picture the likes of which is rarely seen in theaters. There is no plot to speak of--just a series of disconnected vignettes. The directors gathered their actors together, started rolling the cameras, and told the men and women to talk until they were "blue in the face."
Those expecting something of the emotional and narrative depth of SMOKE will be disappointed. BLUE IN THE FACE is an entirely different sort of film. From start to finish, it's pure experimental fun--faux cinema verite, philosophical ramblings, lengthy dialogue between characters, musical interludes, and video inserts. And, whereas SMOKE was a drama, BLUE IN THE FACE is undeniably a comedy.
The central element of BLUE IN THE FACE--the glue that holds everything together--is an appreciation of Brooklyn. During the course of the film, we're exposed to the Brooklyn of the past, the Brooklyn of today, and an idealized Brooklyn that exists only in memories tinged by fondness and nostalgia. BLUE IN THE FACE explores the sense of community that makes this New York borough unique, and examines how the loss of the Dodgers created a vacuum that nothing has since filled. There's also a discourse on Belgian waffles, the "official" food of Brooklyn, which, as we learn, have little to do with any food actually served in Belgium.
The lack of continuity is one of BLUE IN THE FACE's charms. At the outset, Harvey Keitel comments, "I doubt any of this makes sense any more..." He's right, but it doesn't really matter. The film is so exuberant that we don't care whether we're listening to Lou Reed's off-the-cuff comments about New York, watching Mel Gorham do a sexy dance in front of a mirror, or hearing Jim Jarmusch's ramblings on the romance of the smoking culture. In every scene with every character, you can feel the spontaneity.
There are numerous cameos, most of which are successful. Lily Tomlin plays a man in search of Belgian waffles, Michael J. Fox is an oddball survey taker, Victor Argo strums the guitar, and RuPaul comes strolling by. Not all the guest shots add value, however. Madonna's brief turn as a singing telegram messenger is superfluous, and Roseanne displays an amazing lack of screen presence in her two scenes. To further highlight the TV star's lack of acting ability, she appears opposite Keitel, who is in top form.
Ignoring Roseanne (which is easy to do, since, mercifully, she's not on screen for long), BLUE IN THE FACE has few missteps. Sure, it's a little raw, but polish is an undesirable quality in this kind of production. This film is designed simply to entertain--a task it sets about in a most unconventional manner. With BLUE IN THE FACE, Auster and Wang may just be blowing smoke, but it's a colorful and aromatic concoction.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.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