Buffalo '66

Vincent Gallos directorial debut film. Billy Brown who is just released out of prison abruptly kidnaps Layla, an amenable tap dancer to pose as his wife while he visits his parents for the first time in 5 years. The raw cinematography and unconventional editing makes this movie unique. Billy's resilient persona and Layla's willingness keeps you intrigued. With performances by the characters that you never see coming, this blossoming romance between two complete strangers becomes relatable and captivating.

This movie is pure art, plain and simple. Even if the movie might not be to your taste (a lot of people don't like this film at all, and they find it boring and meaningless). Hopefully one can agree it is really nice to know that there was once a time and place when American Independent Cinema really had a heart and soul and it is in full exhibition here. Classification avant-garde.

Vincent Gallo wrote the story and screen play, directed the film, and was the main star. Vincent Gallo fresh out of a five-year prison stint who really needs to take a leak but can't find a bathroom anywhere.

Easily one of the best contemporary actresses ever, Christina Ricci (who plays Layla), enters and is literally kidnapped by Vincent's character. This happens realistically, with a dark sense of humor-- (in a building where he almost finds a toilet), brings her to his family and poses her as his wife. We then get a wonderful half-hour of the biggest generation gap in history in which Gallo, Ricci and his parents, Angelica Huston and Ben Gazzara, have the most complicated anti-bonding dinner in history.

This indie gem is downright brilliant with wonderful imagery, antique film stock, strategically placed camera-angles and split screens that all work to embody the dreamlike... or rather... nightmarish quality. Also, needing to be mentioned it the soundtrack of this movie which personally I believe to be among the best, featuring original music from writer, director and star Vincent Gallo as well as prog-rock artists like Yes and King Crimson. Buffalo '66 is an exceptional film IMO.



Interesting cinematography note: Buffalo '66 was shot on a Reversal stock that the NFL used to use to film games back in the 1970s. It was out of production and Gallo's production gathered all they could to shoot the film and give it it's gorgeous wintery palette.

In real life : Ricci and Gallo did not fancy one another.

Model, actor-director and sometimes singer Vincent Gallo has a very good memory ... and very, very loose lips to match. Gallo, who wrote, directed and starred in the darling indie film "Buffalo 66" in 1998, has reportedly talked smack about Christina Ricci, his co-star in the film, to a New York Post Page Six columnist, according to a Mr. Showbiz report.

Gallo: "It was OK when she wasn't drunk on the set. I think she's an alcoholic -- it was either that, or she was on cough syrup the whole time," Gallo allegedly said about Ricci.

Hold on, it gets better/worse .

"I don't like her," Gallo reportedly blabbered on. "She's an ungrateful c***. But it was OK. She's basically a puppet. I told her what to do, and she did it."

And better/worse.

"She lost 17 pounds, and that was because I only let her eat one whole pizza pie every day," he said.

And this was Ricci's response in an interview from 2007 (questions bolded this time):

Quote: It's ten years since you made 'Buffalo 66' with Vincent Gallo.

I was seventeen, yeah. It was my first movie away without my mother. Not a wise choice. I really didn't understand what was going on most of the time working with a crazy lunatic man. I'd never encountered such insanity.

He said some nice things about your weight.

Oh yes, I've been there. Horrible things. He waited three or four years and then decided to make fun of my weight at the time that we were shooting 'Buffalo 66'. He waited that long to make fun of a seventeen-year-old. It's so bizarre, and I hadn't seen him in years, I hadn't done anything to him. It was just like: okay, a. s . s hole.

Did you get on with him when making the film?

No, not really. He's one of those people who sometimes he's so nice to you and then the next he imagines that you've done something horrible and he'll start screaming at you. It's difficult to get on well with someone like that.

Did you see his next film, 'The Brown Bunny'? Oh, I didn't see it. I have no interest in seeing anything he ever does again.

Vincent Gallo's directorial debut is a powerhouse of fine acting, writing, and direction, not to mention a showcase for some truly jaw-dropping cinematography. Buffalo 66 is one of the finest independent films that I have ever seen, and perhaps the most fascinating character study I have yet to see on film.

Christina Ricci provides one of the year's best performances as Layla, the odd but tenderhearted tap dancer who provides Gallo's Billy Brown with the only true love he has ever received. Ricci's performance is brilliantly understated, and she relays just as much heartfelt meaning in one glance of her beautiful, dark eyes as Gallo does in his barrage of rapid-fire monologues.

There are also fine supporting performances from Ben Gazzara and Angjelica Huston, as Billy's utterly dysfunctional parents, Mickey Rourke, as a sleezy bookie, Jan-Michael Vincent, as Billy's touchingly loyal friend and owner of a bowling alley, and Kevin Corrigan, as Billy's slow but well-meaning best friend.

Buffalo 66 is an incredibly moving and beautiful film. It provides some of the starkest movie images of blue-collar society to come along since the '70s. The on-location Buffalo, New York sites are haunting in their bleakness, and the filtered photography emphasizes this all the more.

On top of all of this, Gallo provides a mesmerizing performance as Billy Brown-a man who has spent so much of his life pining for love and tenderness that he doesn't know how to deal with it once it is staring him in the face.

Simply put, Buffalo 66 is a staggering achievement. Vincent Gallo is a fiercely talented filmmaker and a force to be reckoned with in the future.

Never even heard of Gallo: just happened onto this film on IFC one night and totally loved it. The acting was superb, the story even more so; and that camera work! Gallo's character, Billy Brown, was a picture of hate and resentment due to his unfeeling, unloving parents who made it clear from day one that he wasn't wanted, much less loved. This pushing away by these heartless, empty people turned young Billy into a introvert who was only able to find love within the confines of his own dreamy mind. Of course, this was insufficient which drove Billy to acting out in some bizarre and dangerous ways. Finally, when love does come it terrifies him and causes him to push away this affection continuing the cycle started by his parents. At times I found myself rocking with laughter at the antics of these hurting and emotionally scarred folks, but the tale was anything but comical. I wish there were more pictures coming out as interesting and dramatic as this.

I fell in love with this movie. Before I saw it, I didn't know much at all about Vincent Gallo. I saw the trailer that was attached to "Out of Sight" and was like "well, that looks interesting. Maybe I'll check it out sometime." It took me a long time to track it down, but it was so worth the wait. One thing I can honestly say, is that the trailer is NOT deceptive. It pretty much tells you EXACTLY what you're going to get. One thing I wasn't expecting thoug, was the humor. There were times in this movie that I had to rewind and watch over because I was laughing so hard from the previous scene that I missed what was going on. Despite the film's depressing tone and deliberately grainy look, there are a lot of laughs here. Most of them come from the character of Billy Brown.

Never in my life, have I seen a more pathetic hero. The guy is almost totally unlikeable without ONE redeeming quality. In the opening frame, he's being released from Prison. He's been there for something like five years and it's obvious that he's coming out of there in the clothes that he was wearing when he went in. His wardrobe is hilarious and his red ankle boots are a laugh riot. As are his pants that appear to be about four inches too short. You can tell when you first see him that this guy is a real piece of work. The first ten minutes or so focus on our new friend trying to find a bathroom, without any luck. When he finally does find a restroom, he is harassed by an obese homosexual. This sets up a scene that is kinda sick but darkly funny.

Next thing, we learn the plan (part of it anyway) that Billy has up his sleeve. We meet his lunatic parents through a phone conversation and learn that they are clueless that Billy has been in lockup for the last five years. Apparently, they are stupid enough to believe that their son has been working in a foreign country as a government agent. They also believe that he is married. So he has to find a girl to pose as his wife. This sets up even more hilarious scenes as he kidnaps a young tap-dancer. I'm not going to go much farther. But the movie does get even funnier. Not only is it funny but it covers a lot of emotions. Here's a guy who's clearly been a loser his whole life, trying desperately to impress his parents who could care less about him. It sounds really depressing, but it's actually inspiring and, because it ends on a high note, it's uplifting.

While it may not be for everyone, it's still a very entertaining and rewarding film. It's been a few years since Gallo has done anything, but I'm really looking forward to his next project.

If anything, I'd say that this is a black-comedy/character study. It's probably the most original film of 1998 and it did take a lot of chances with its unique style. I have no complaints about this movie whatsoever and I'm giving it the highest score possible. It's a 10+.