Night at the Golden Eagle

You may see a lot of comments out there about this film simply being gratuitous doom and gloom, racist, etc. But don't buy it. This film is legit and is meaningful. If you have ever remotely experienced, witnessed or have known anyone associated with the scenarios outlined in this gritty film, then you will understand. It's characters are believable including the brief cameo by pornography actress Kitten Natividad, who probably knows more about that life style than anyone else on the set. If you are a bleeding heart looking for life's answers through political correctness or stereotypical "substantitive" films, do not watch this one. You will be disappointed.

NIGHT AT THE GOLDEN EAGLE (2002) ***1/2 Donnie Montemarano, Vinny Argiro Natasha Lyonne Ann Magnuson, Vinnie Jones, Sam Moore, Fayard Nicholas, Miles Dougal, Badja Djola, James Caan (Cameo) . Character driven piece of pulp fiction with career criminal Montermarano recently released from a stint in the joint and hooking up with his old cronie Argiro whose plans on going straight including his newly returned to society buddy to a jaunt to Las Vegas ends up with some cruel twists of fate on a sweltering night in the titular Los Angeles flophouse. With the feel of a novella come to life the ensemble cast of misfits, losers and degenerates set in this moldy enclave of despair permeates like a rotting carcass thanks largely to filmmaker Adam Rifkin's vision of hell on Earth (kudos to the ace cinematography by Checco Verese for his seamy look at the underbelly of humanity at its worst). Grim, uncompromising and deftly cutting to the bone of contrition.

"Night at the Golden Eagle" is just a few steps away from being a perfect film, we don't get the opportunity to absorb the climax before it ends, so by the time the credits roll it felt incomplete.

The story isn't about resolutions, but instead the opposite, if you ever wondered where the people who don't "make it" go after they've failed, or where society's unwanted leftovers collect, or where those with potential ultimately find themselves on the wrong side of fate's door there are a lot of them out there right now on the streets, and they're getting younger and younger, get your teen to see it they might learn something.

I'm not a fan of Adam Rifkin's lighter, more commercial stuff ("The Chase", "Detroit Rock City") but I was blown away by "The Dark Backward", which is one of the darkest, most transgressive contemporary films I've seen and that made me seek out "Night at the Golden Eagle", which I also really liked. Golden Eagle has the same obsession with darker than dark, hell-on-earth textures as Dark Backward. I'm not sure how Rifkin does it, but I've seen few other filmmakers who really capture that sense that you are truly looking into the bowels of hell. Even David Lynch doesn't quite go this far down.

Basic plot involves two old-time cons, one having just been released from prison. The other has been living a straight life at the titular fleabag motel, home to prostitutes, geriatric Hollywood hoofers, and other assorted weirdos and drug addicts. The two old cons have a plan to head to Vegas in the morning and start fresh lives as blackjack dealers, but when a hooker ends up dead in their room, things get complicated. There's also a subplot involving a very young prostitute being shown the tricks of the trade by a motherly older prostitute (played by Ann Magnuson).

The film is actually a pretty big downer. Some definite shades of Bukowski and Hubert Selby Jr. Comic relief comes in the form of a b.s.-spouting, television obsessional (played wonderfully by old-time soul great Sam Moore) and a much put-upon desk clerk ("EVERYONE needs something! I'm out of milk, fer Christ's sake!").

More than anything this makes me wish Rifkin would stick to the darker, textural stuff he has such an undeniable gift for creating.

The story of small time crooks, low-income senior citizens and others on the fringe, Night at the Golden Eagle shows one night in their sorry lives. From the ex-con just getting out of prison to the loser desk clerk, everyone in the hotel has some large or small drama going on.

While other reviewers chose to see this as gritty and realistic, I didn't think so; street walkers, for example, are seldom as good looking as Natasha Lyonne, or as articulate. You could expect a lot more drug use and a lot fewer pretty faces in a flea bag hotel, the characters living there wouldn't be nearly as interesting.

The movie is shot in dark tones with a distinct style, presumably to give it more atmosphere; that works, it doesn't distract from the action. The production values are as high as anything else, this isn't a B movie at all.

The film misses the mark, though, it's a decent movie but not a real slice of life as it aims to be. With a couple of quick edits it could easily be the movie of the week on TV.