Buffalo '66

*** out of **** stars

The only sequence of Buffalo '66 that warmed my heart with thankful relief from almost two hours of wondering why the main character - Billy Brown (Vincent Gallo)- would make such unorthodox decisions against the obvious, right decisions, was during the last five minutes (approx.) of the film. What a pay off! What a tension breaking five minutes it was! I felt I could breathe easy after happily discovering that Billy is a man that can make loving, almost predictable and sane decisions after all, and all because of Layla (Christina Ricci), the new angel in his life, who he haphazardly "kidnapped" in a dance studio; who he finally realizes is his savior. We never find out much about Layla, if anything at all. Where does she come from and why is she the way she is? Why does she see a loving light in despicable Billy? Why doesn't she leave him, after so much verbal abuse and selfishness? I believe the reason she doesn't is because director, writer, composer and actor Gallo understands that in most scripts out of cliché Hollywood, she WOULD leave Billy. And then what kind of movie would we have? One that we've seen time and time again. The decisions that the characters make in Buffalo '66's entire time frame are the antithesis of conventionalism.

What makes Billy Brown tick is strenuously simple, but only after a fair amount of contemplation after spending time with him: his parents, played by Ben Gazzara and Anjelica Huston, have systematically not given their son an ounce of validation of pride or yes, love, for his entire life, spent in frigid Buffalo, New York. Billy has spent his whole life excessively fabricating his importance in hope to gain that validation, but never with any success. Whether biological parents can demonstrate such intense apathy and coldness toward their own flesh and blood, as seen in this movie, is up for debate. But if they were able to be so callously and blindly bold, the bitter and sad result of such a man as Billy seems plausible. Gallo's skillful acting ability in his role floors me, because we actually somehow care for Billy. And why should we? Because through his sin we envision humanness that, I believe, we can all relate to: the errors we make; the lack of self-worth we may feel; loneliness; rejection; and the pain that is inflicted upon us from those who are supposed to unconditionally love us the most. Ricci's astounding performance, which I believe carries the most improvisation of any character in the film, brilliantly sheds the most light on the movie's message, which is: when someone cares about you more than themselves, it can truly change you for the better, no matter how much emotional baggage you may have. If we all had a Layla in our lives, psychiatrists would go into extinction.

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.

Vincent Gallo's has supplied us with more than just a powerful character driven pic with the touching "Buffalo '66". Somehow he has managed to provide a much needed counterpoint to another recent noteworthy effort, "Good Will Hunting".

Instead of a pouting GQ-genius we get a main character much more common to everyday life. A simple loser trying to claw his way out of a hole that he never meant to dig for himself. A victim of circumstance who not only dosen't but couldn't know any better. It's a simple tale of desparation and lonliness that never shies away from cutting all the way down to the bone.

Billy Brown is revolting. Greasy, unmannered, and fresh from jail, the viewer is given no reason at all to care about him. He kidnaps Layla (Ricci) in an effort to maintain the machinery of lies that he has constructed to keep his nebulus parents unaware of his time in jail.

It becomes clear that she falls for him after meeting his parents and other major players in his life. Billy didn't just get the short end of the stick, he never even had a chance. At this point you are forced to ask why, instead of trying to connect with him, she isn't running for her life from this apparent maniac. But on closer examination you realize that you are also sticking around. Not simply to see what happens but to make sure that Billy turns out OK.

Gallo want's to make it clear that Billy was warped from the outside in. From the day of his birth he was hated by his psychotic mother, played brilliantly by Anjelica Houston, because her going into labor prevented her from watching the "Big Game" in which her favorite team triumphed in the 1966 Superbowl. And it was another pivotal Bills game that doomed Billy Brown and sent him to jail for 5 years just as he entered adulthood. A stark contrast to the scene in "Good Will Hunting" where Damon and Williams charachters recount the famous Boston Red Sox victory and thereby establish a deeper connection on the road to that protagonist's healing.

The road to Billy's wellness will have to be found elsewhere and with little help from anyone at all. He is forced to configure his own compass to guide him to the next step in his life and although it isn't pretty the result is far more belivable than "Good Will".

Gallo used his microscopic budget well especially in the flashback and dream sequences. This work resonates with some of John Cassavetes' tradmark overtones without exploiting them. And I'm not just talking about the presence of Ben Gazzara.

You can feel the cold of Buffalo seeping through every crack inside a given scene. You can also sense that the actors were given plenty of latitude to construct their charachters but we're directed with a special urgency. The end result enables the viewer to be propelled through the film instead of mearly left to watch it unfold before them.

The screenplay delves into territory where Tarantino and his like fear to tread. A style of film making that depends more on raw performance than on well laid plans and clever constructs. Gallo chose his team well and trusted them to win it for him and they came through brilliantly.

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.

Considering that Vincent Gallo made a film that i pretty much hated, THE BROWN BUNNY, It's reassuring that he still has made this great film. I really had a ball watching this one. From the opening sequence of him leaving jail to the heartwarming, yet chilling ending scene, this is a film with lots of great moments. A man has just gotten out of jail and is to visit his parents, but first he needs a girlfriend and decides to kidnap a ballet dancer and force her to role play as his girlfriend. But when she starts to get too into the idea, the man shows his limits in a series of comic events ranging from darkly funny, to very inspired. And yet in between these events are moments of extremely depressing and moody sort of moments that elevate the film into a truly original masterpiece. A little bit brutal, a little bit surreal, and very depressing, the film manages to strike a perfect balance of comedy and drama and incorporate them into a truly original independent classic. It's definitely not for everyone, as a lot of the films i comment on are, but the audience that it is made for will fall in love with BUFFALO' 66.