ALBINO ALLIGATOR
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.0 Alternative Scale: *** out of ****
United States, 1996 U.S. Release Date: 12/24/96 (limited), 1/97 (wider) Running Length: 1:43 MPAA Classification: R (Violence, profanity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Matt Dillon, Faye Dunaway, Gary Sinise, William Fichtner, Viggo Mortensen, John Spencer, Skeet Ulrich, M. Emmet Walsh, Joe Mantegna Director: Kevin Spacey Producers: Bradley Jenkel, Brad Krevoy, and Steven Stabler Screenplay: Christian Forte Cinematography: Mark Plummer Music: Michael Brook U.S. Distributor: Miramax Films
ALBINO ALLIGATOR, the directorial debut of 1996's Best Supporting Oscar winner, Kevin Spacey, is a cagey, claustrophobic noir thriller highlighted by a few clever plot twists, some nicely-honed dialogue, and a half-dozen top-notch performances. Many will doubtless compare this movie to Quentin Tarantino's RESERVOIR DOGS, but, while there are similarities in plot, intent, and style, ALBINO ALLIGATOR is a more intimate film. If not for the car chase that opens the movie and sets up everything that follows, this could easily be mistaken for the screen adaptation of a play.
Spacey's picture doesn't feature anything new or startling, but it's competently constructed, and, with the possible exception of a stale patch in the middle, keeps the tension at a consistently high level. Built around a pyramidal series of coincidences, ALBINO ALLIGATOR is rich in irony and occasionally darkly humorous. The characters, who all start out as familiar types, are allowed to grow and develop in sometimes-unexpected directions. Even the viewer who recognizes ALBINO ALLIGATOR's flaws is still likely to be intrigued and captivated by the increasingly-desperate proceedings.
Dova (Matt Dillon), Milo (Gary Sinise), and Law (William Fichtner) are three crooks on the run in New Orleans. A failed robbery combined with a police mix-up leads to a high-speed car chase, three dead bodies, and a tense situation in a place called Dino's Last Chance Bar. With the police gathering outside, the trio takes everyone in the small joint hostage, including the bartender (M. Emmet Walsh), a waitress (Faye Dunaway), and several customers (Skeet Ulrich, John Spencer, and Viggo Mortensen). Outside, the cops' actions are directed by a goateed Joe Mantegna, who's irritated at the growing media presence on the scene.
Most of the film involves interaction amongst the criminals, and between them and their prisoners. Dova, the leader, is uncertain how he wants things to proceed. His injured brother, Milo, advises restraint and humanity -- perhaps even to the point of giving up. On the other hand, Law, a borderline nutcase, is willing to start a bloodbath. He espouses the "Albino Alligator" stratagem: intentional sacrifice for intentional gain --kill the hostages to win freedom. Dova's indecision about which course of action to pursue, and the subtle ways in which the prisoners attempt to sway him, fuels much of ALBINO ALLIGATOR's edginess. Nothing in this film is quite as inevitable as it first seems.
Every performance works, although some of the actors (namely John Spencer, Viggo Mortensen, and M. Emmet Walsh) don't have much to do. Dillon is excellent as the torn Dova. At times, we believe he's capable of murdering everyone in the bar; on other occasions, we can see a haunted look in his eyes. William Fichtner plays the sociopath with a mixture of unharnassed rage and oily charm. As the voice of reason, Gary Sinise gives his usual solid performance (he's a much kinder, gentler villain here than in RANSOM). The standout among the hostages is Faye Dunaway, whose character runs through emotions from anger and contempt to horror and desperation. And, as the only cop with a personality, Joe Mantegna is delightfully hard-bitten. His technique for putting a reporter in her place is one of the film's best moments.
The core of ALBINO ALLIGATOR is atmosphere and dialogue. The characters do a lot of talking, and, although few of their lines are memorable, almost all of what they say rings true. There are occasions, however, when the film's talkiness eats into the tension, especially towards the midpoint. ALBINO ALLIGATOR doesn't flow as smoothly as it might; there are times when it surges forward, and other instances when it drags a little.
In an era when Tarantino-flavored crime thrillers are becoming more commonplace, ALBINO ALLIGATOR manages to distinguish itself. For the most part, Christian Forte's script is smart, even if the characters aren't, and Spacey's direction is sure-handed. There's something darkly delightful about watching a movie like this, which, despite occasionally falling back on formulaic conventions, still manages to surprise its audience from time-to-time.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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