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.

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+.

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 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.

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.