Monday, November 4, 1996
FILM:
Director takes a humorous look at the darkness of everyday
lifeBy Tyler Maxwell
Daily Bruin Contributor
In "Palookaville," director Alan Taylor attempts to pack
romance, comedy and gritty realism into a story about three fun
guys. Actor William Forsythe ("Virtuosity," "The Waterdance") stars
in this newly released independent film about three wannabe tough
guys with an obvious gentle side.
Inspired by the short stories of a neorealist Italian writer
Italio Calvino, this film is a blend of Old World Italian cinema
and commentary about what it is like to be young in the
90s."Palookaville" is Taylor’s first feature film. He holds a
master’s degree in modern European history along with a degree in
film from NYU’s prestigious film school. Taylor’s graduation piece
"That Burning Question," has been dubbed the best student film of
all time. He discusses some of the different aspects of the
characters and how they play into the story.
"The characters themselves are completely unpolitical Â
that is one of their problems. They are guys that haven’t grown up.
They don’t realize what is important in their lives," Taylor says.
"They are chasing after this hopeful-crazy notion of pulling off
one big heist. They are light years away from having any sort of
political self-awareness. All they know is that they woke up and
the American dream was ignoring them. It doesn’t occur to them to
think that something is wrong with the system."
The film deals with the everyday lives of the three characters
and their comical attempt to improve their financial situation.
Forced to deal with unemployment and lack of opportunities, these
three life-long friends decide to rob an armored truck to help make
ends meet. Though inspired by the tough-guy image portrayed in the
movies, none of them can truly handle the harsh realities
associated with being a criminal. Forsythe plays Sid, a poor,
dog-loving hopeless romantic who can’t seem to get over his last
relationship.
Commenting on the experience of working on an independent film,
Forsythe says, "I know that eventually everyone will see it because
of the various ways we show our films now. I wish that more people
could go out and see a film like this. … It is a film that was
made as an artistic venture, but at the same time it is a film that
relates to every man. We can only hope that they see it, but I
always feel that some of the better work that is done no one
sees."
Though the film doesn’t have a blockbuster budget, it still
strives to be a movie mainstream audiences can relate to. The
character of Sid is a guy most people can identify with because of
his silly smile and inappropriate statements. He is shy and has
trouble relating to women, but he is very romantic, and there are
several touching scenes involving Sid.
"What attracted me the most was the heart of these guys,
particularly the heart of Sid," Forsythe says. "When I was a young
guy going to dances I would be like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to dance with
this girl, but I can’t.’ I remember those feelings so strong and
… I could instantly relate to not having all the answers."
Forsythe says that what attracted him to the script was "the
genuine romance."
"You’re standing in the rain in the doorway with your dogs and
this girl opens the door and gives you a cup of tea. It was very
romantic and it was that (the romance) that sold me on it,"
Forsythe says.
What follows this scene is one of the many sight gags in the
movie that give it its fun and familiar feel. Making comedies is a
bit of a shift for Forsythe, but it is a shift that he enjoys.
"I love to do comedies. I really get a kick out of them. There
is a fine line between a drama and a comedy, even in very serious
pieces I try to bring humor into it. In ‘The Waterdance,’… There
are moments when you are going to (cry), but it is more important
to laugh because that is the spirit of man."
Laughter is very important to Forsythe, but he feels the crux of
filmmaking lies in the realism and the classic feel of a film.
Rather than relying on violence to intrigue an audience,
"Palookaville" takes the classical approach of dealing with
real-life situations and real-life choices that people have to make
when their backs are against the wall.
"Personally, I don’t like superfluous violence in movies,"
Forsythe says. "If I were to do a film right now I would try to do
it a lot more in the old style of how to approach film. I don’t
like seeing someone’s head (brains) hit the wall, that doesn’t mean
anything to me. To me it is more in here." Forsythe makes a "V"
with his fingers and points to his eyes. He says, "It’s more in the
eyes, its more of that kind of thing. … Realism is important, to
be authentic."
"Palookaville" was inspired by the short stories of Calvino, an
Italian writer who had a tremendous influence on the neorealist
style of the post-World War II cinema. His stories chronicle the
struggle of his countrymen in economically devastated postwar
Italy.
"It has always been sort of an ideal of mine. ‘Palookaville’ was
a chance to mess with some of the same qualities," Taylor says,
referring to the neorealist style in ’40s and ’50s Italian cinema.
He eloquently outlines neorealism and sets the scene for the film.
"A bleak setting, down to earth, common-man type characters who are
locked in a tiny world they can’t seem to get out of. Where the
little pleasures and tragedies are sort of tiny events seem to
carry a lot of weight."
Director Alan Taylor gives "Palookaville" that sort of off-beat
color that makes it so relevant to our lives. This film may be the
first piece in a soon-to-be very impressive body of Taylor’s
work.
FILM: "Palookaville," directed by Alan Taylor and starring
William Forsythe, is currently playing in theatres.
Though the film doesn’t have a blockbuster budget, it still
strives to be a movie mainstream audiences can relate
to."Palookaville" was inspired by the short stories of
Calvino…