TREES LOUNGE
A film review by Vince Deehan
Copyright 1997 Vince Deehan
Written and Directed by Steve Buscemi. Cast : Steve Buscemi, Chloe Sevigny, Anthony LaPaglia, Elizabeth Bracco, Mark Boone Junior, Seymour Cassel, Carol Kane, Bronson Dudley. UK Release Date: Feb 14 1997.
TREES LOUNGE is the entertaining directorial debut from one of the most enjoyable actors around, Steve Buscemi. Whether he is playing the bellboy Chet ( "Chet!") from BARTON FINK or the hitman in THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD, Busecmi is always a joy to watch. He commands attention whenever he's on the screen and I have never seen him give a bad performance yet. He has worked with a huge array of talented directors including the Coen Brothers, Robert Altman, Jim Jarmusch and Quentin Tarantino and I am delighted to say that he has shown with this film that he has plenty of directorial talent himself.
In TREES LOUNGE Buscemi plays the lead role of Tommy, a 30-something car mechanic who has been fired for "borrowing" (as Tommy puts it) money from his boss and neglecting to return it. His boss Rob (Anthony LaPaglia) is now married to Tommy's ex-girlfriend Theresa (Elizabeth Bracco) who is now pregnant with a child who may or may not be Tommy's. Tommy spends most days standing outside his former workplace which irritates Rob greatly. Rob stole Theresa from Tommy which perhaps explains why Tommy is keen to irritate Rob !
Spending time standing outside Rob's garage is, however, merely a pleasant diversion for Tommy's main preoccupation which is propping up the counter in his favourite bar Trees Lounge, named presumably because of the single, sad looking tree which sits just outside. The bar itself is not particularly attractive and would be unlikely to attract any passing trade. It would appear to be only used by a select few regulars who , like Tommy, spend many hours there each day drinking their lives away and generally feeling sorry for themselves.
We see Tommy walking the streets in search of work as a mechanic. He gives the impression that he couldn't care less whether he got work or not. He knows full well that his old boss Rob would not be able to provide him with a glowing reference but he nonetheless tries to get work. When Tommy's Uncle Al (Seymour Cassel) has a heart attack and dies at the wheel of his ice cream van, he is offered the chance to take over the job, which he does. Tommy knows that he is hardly suited to the job but he gives it a shot. While on the round Debbie (Chloe Sevigny), the seventeen year old niece of his ex-girlfriend, joins him one day and they strike up a friendship which soon leads to a romance. Needless to say, when Debbie's father Jerry (Daniel Baldwin) finds out, he is none too pleased.
We also meet another regular of the bar, called Mike (Mark Boone Junior). Mike owns a removals firm but is having marital problems and has taken to spending his current vacation sitting in the bar all day drinking, and taking drugs in the bathroom.
In TREES LOUNGE Steve Buscemi treats all the characters with obvious affection despite their shortcomings. The character of Mike is particularly interesting since he obviously has a lot going for him: his own company, his own house and a wife and child; but despite this he prefers to retreat from his responsibilities and wallow in self-pity in the bar all day. We don't really get to understand Mike's actions nor any of the other characters, but this isn't really a fault. I don't think Steve Buscemi set out to create a deep character study but rather he has created a lot of characters whose behaviour we have to take at face value. Why, for instance, does the old man at the bar, Bill, spend his entire day (or so it seems) drinking , before been carried paralytic into his small bedsit above the bar. What has happened in his life that has gotten him into this state ? We don't get to find out. We just have to imagine it for ourselves.
The acting from the whole cast (including brief cameos by Samuel L. Jackson and Mimi Rogers) is of a high standard throughout. Buscemi himself is as wonderful as ever, but special mention should go to Chloe Sevigny (KIDS) who handles the potentially tricky role as the teenage Debbie with ample style and grace. She never comes across as precocious for one minute which would be the pitfall for a less talented young actress.
TREES LOUNGE is a wonderful directorial debut from one of America's most likeable and interesting character actors and I hope that we will see more from him.
Review written on Friday Feb 14 1997.
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