THE DESTINY OF MARTY FINE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 4.0 Alternative Scale: ** out of ****
United States, 1996 Shown at the 1996 SXSW Film Festival Running Length: 1:25 MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Mature themes, profanity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Alan Gelfant, James LeGros, Catherine Keener, Michael Ironside, Glenn Plummer, John Diehl, Norman Fell Director: Michael Hacker Producer: Jeffrey Miller Screenplay: Michael Hacker and Mark Ruffalo Cinematography: Melinda Sue Gordon Music: Dave Stringer and Greg Ellis
THE DESTINY OF MARTY FINE is a shoestring-budget independent feature with a fascinating premise that is totally wasted. Talky, boring, and ultimately pointless, this film is distinguished only by several effective performances and a few nicely-written scenes. In general, however, MARTY FINE is a disappointment. It's one thing to be quirky; it's another to be incoherent.
Marty (Alan Gelfant) is an ex-boxer with a dream of opening a boxing training camp in Utah. That's all it is, however -- a dream. Marty doesn't even have pocket change, not to mention the dose of cash needed for such an ambitious project. So he approaches a big-time boxing promoter (Michael Ironside) with his idea. Much to Marty's surprise, the promoter expresses some interest. Unfortunately, before a deal can be struck, a car speeds by, a few shots are fired, and Marty is left standing over a dead body. From that point on, his luck goes from bad to worse. His girlfriend (Catherine Keener) kicks him out, he's locked out of his gym locker, a friend (Glenn Plummer) needs back $200 Marty borrowed from him, and someone else wants him to perform a hit as a demonstration of friendship.
Ultimately, MARTY FINE isn't concerned about telling a story. The narrative gets lost in a seemingly-endless sequence of uninteresting conversations. There's nothing inherently wrong with ninety minutes of dialogue, as long as what's being said is worth hearing. That's not the case here. The only ones who appreciate what these people have to say are the characters themselves. Except for the exchanges between Marty and his girlfriend, it's difficult to find high points.
The cinematography, done in 16 mm black-and-white, is suitably atmospheric, but the noir-ish quality of the production is undermined by its confusing and unfocused storyline. It's never clear where MARTY FINE is going, or whether it ever gets there. Transitions are virtually nonexistent, and the ending is abrupt. The actors all do good jobs (even Norman Fell!), but their skills are wasted on such sub-par material. I have little doubt that MARTY FINE is destined for obscurity.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net web: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin (or) http://www2.cybernex.net/~berardin
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