The man still knows how to frame a face. Better than anyone, really.
Soon after David Strathairn came into the film, I started taking it seriously. It's amazing how he disappeared into this thing. Not a showy drunk performance, but one that just slowwwly oozes the melancholia of an ongoing drunk with few respites. That scene with the chips...wow. This is Oscar material, though I doubt he'll be remembered.
And then somewhere in the big scene between Weisz and Jones, with that long take during the former's monologue, it put its other hooks in me, and I fell under its spell. The British actress digs very deep with some very short screen time, and looked fantastic onscreen in all her ramshackle glory.
The beginning is certainly a little shaky. You're sitting there pointing out the various WKW trademarks: super grainy, repetitive shots (alright, the train, WE GET IT), dialogue that seems like it's more monologue...but once it gets on the road it definitely takes you somewhere. Now I don't know if WKW captured Memphis, or captured Nevada as he has with Hong Kong, but it doesn't matter. Lizzie's character is getting out of something familiar, and the locations are foreign enough by comparison to be legitimate. In his films, the outside world/society is barely suggested anyway; the extras drift like apparitions in the background, so focused is our attention on his leads.
The sense of melancholia that pervades previous work is still present. Perhaps it's difficult to feel empathy with these familiar faces; Law, Portman, and to a lesser extent Weisz have cinematic baggage that makes it a challenge to place them in the WKW universe. But for me, it worked. I don't understand the problems people have with Jude's work here. Not convincing as a glorified short-order cook? That's a bit unfair. The man can do so much with glances, unspoken moments, few words. He's getting to become underrated.
Portman was a breath of fresh air, especially compared to the rest of her filmography. Even though she already played tainted in Closer, she was still the angst-ridden Natalie. Here she's breezy, and light...until she needs to be heavier, and I found her convincing.
Jones, who obviously isn't a pro, still has the wide-eyed face that's perfect for what's being projected onto her. And maybe I'm just a WKW apologist, but I did think she opened up over the course of the film, to the point where she begins to stand up more for herself (and her feelings) in the Vegas sequences, and when she comes back to the diner, there's a confidence, even a slight swagger, that wasn't there before.
Lastly regarding the actors, it was VERY nice to see that cameo from Chan Marshall complementing her music on the soundtrack. Delicate but perfect work.
This isn't Major WKW, but who cares? A confection is still tasty if done right, and it's a bittersweet one that carries an aftertaste. The critics think the master is slumming; I'm perfectly happy that he decided to drop by the neighborhood. Who knows what could happen if he decides to stay?
