Carny

I have been trying to see 'Carny' for quite some time, and I finally stumbled across an old video tape of it. I don't know if it is now available on DVD, but if not, it should be. It was released at the beginning of the 1980s but is very much a 1970s movie, and fans of that decade will appreciate it. It's very low key and character driven, and nothing all that much happens, but the acting is strong from the three leads - Gary Busey, who has been wasted in bad movies for many years, Jodie Foster in the transitional period from child to adult star, and the biggest surprise of all Robbie Robertson, guitarist and main songwriter with legendary rock'n'rollers The Band. On top of that the supporting cast features an incredible array of character actors that's hard to beat - Elisha Cook Jr, Tim Thomerson, Kenneth McMillan, Meg Foster, Tim Thomerson, Bill McKinney, Bert Remsen, Fred Ward, Woodrow Parfrey and Craig Wasson, the star of Brian De Palma's 'Body Double', just to name the most obvious ones. 'Carny' is an overlooked gem, and deserves some more attention. I really enjoyed it.

Frankie (Gary Busey) and Patch (Robbie Robertson of The Band) are two carnival hustlers traveling from town to town in the South. In one spot Frankie picks up Donna (Jodie Foster), an 18-year old who literally runs away with the circus. Naturally, things tense up between Frankie and Patch as Donna tries to learn the carny lifestyle. Man, back in the day one could make a movie about the life of carnival workers and it didn't have to be profound or condescending. CARNY just tells it like it is, showcasing the carnival folk and their life. What is so interesting about the film (outside of Busey's maniac performance) is how Robert Kaylor deviates from expectations. One would expect Busey and Robertson to fight over who gets the girl but they don't. Instead, they act normal as Foster is the one who gets emotional over it. The supporting cast is incredible and features Tim Thomerson, Kenneth McMillan, Elisha Cook, Jr., Meg Foster and Teddy Wilson.

Carny is an interesting low-key film. It doesn't really have much of a plot. It works far more on atmosphere. The story is about a direction-less teenage girl (Jodie Foster) who runs away with the carnival after she meets a clown there. This leads to some friction between the manager and the clown; while later the carnies have to deal with some vicious local officials. As I say, it's not really much of a story and in order to appreciate Carny you need to find something in the feel of the movie.

I guess you could describe the set-up as a love triangle but only to a certain extent, as there really isn't a lot of emotion invested in the romantic side of the story; at the same time, there is a thriller element introduced towards the end and while that was quite good fun, it doesn't really fit all that well and could easily have been omitted. But as I say, the film still makes a mark and that is probably a result of the gritty recreation of carnival life and the good performances underpinning it. Best of the actors is Gary Busey who steals the show in his role as the abusive clown; moreover, the film begins very memorably with close-ups of him applying his clown make-up like it was war paint. In a sense it is, as he is extremely confrontational and goads his audience into throwing balls at him in sheer anger. In fact, the film depicts the carnies in general as primarily fuelled by a desire to fleece whoever enters their lair as they travel from town to town.

Carny is an interesting character-driven mood piece. It definitely falls into the cult movie side of the spectrum, as its unusual setting and dynamics will always mean it'll not appeal to everyone but will definitely connect with quite a few who are lured in to sample its wares.

This is one of those movies that doesn't really have a story, the characters and their lives are the story. If you are ok with that then this is a pretty decent drama. It has the drama, a bit of action, tragedy, romance.

I think this might have been Gary Busy's best performance, Jodie Foster puts in a good one too. All the characters even the non actors (not sure they used real circus folk or not) seemed to do an ok job. It is cheesy and dated but it works. I felt for the characters by the end.

It doesn't really have much of an ending and you kind of don't expect one since it's about the characters and their stories don't really end.

"Carny" is of those rare films that is truly unclassifiable. It's fiction, with actors and actresses playing scripted roles, but it almost comes closer to a documentary since there really isn't much of a plot, merely the intent to deep-dive into the daily lives and routines of traveling circus members. The one film "Carny" reminds me of the most, and I'm actually surprised that no other reviewers mentioned this, is Tod Browning's cinematic landmark "Freaks" (1932). Partially because, well, many of the supportive characters are human anomalies that make a living of their appearances, but mostly because both films zoom in on a secluded community of people that don't tolerate outsiders and behave skeptically towards newcomers. Coincidentally, both stories also revolve on a (female) newcomer breaking into the community, although the trapeze artiste in "Freaks" had evil intentions whereas Donna (the amazing Jodie Foster) in "Carny" is genuinely looking to become a part of the group.

Writer/director Robert Kaylor was obviously obsessed with the concept of traveling carnivals and the people who run them, but he sure didn't draw an attractive picture of them. "Carny" is dark and bathes in a manic & moody atmosphere. The characters are grim and unsympathetic, most notably the resident con-artist and all-round purpose fixer Patch (sublime role for "The Band" icon Robbie Robertson) and the face-painted Frankie, who - as the foulmouthed clown Bozo - sits in a cage above a water tank and goads carnival visitors into throwing shots at him. Gary Busey is fabulous in the role, and the film nicely stands out at the peak of his career, shortly after "The Buddy Holly Story" and "Big Wednesday". The decors and photography are sinister, yet beautiful, and Alex North's thoroughly unsettling score makes the wholesome even more unique. I personally found the final plotting and twists rather unnecessary, but still, a great cult gem for cinema fanatics to seek out.