Hey folks, Harry here with a mini-review of John Sayles' upcoming film SUNSHINE STATE, which I'm due to see at CINEVEGAS Film Festival in about 3 weeks. I'm a Sayles fan through and through. He's one of those filmmakers and personalities that is just infectious. From BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET to LONE STAR to MEN WITH GUNS, I've enjoyed his work for years now and look forward to seeing this film soon. Here's a not-so-hot look at it from C.K. Enjoy...
Hey Harry,
Had the chance to attend a screening of "Sunshine State" a few nights ago. While I totally admire John Sayles' career -- making big money off anonymous rewrites for the Hollywood production machine and then using that green to fund his own, independent movies -- he rarely makes a film I truly love. For every "Passion Fish" or "Secret of Roan Inish" there's five "City of Hopes" or, yes, "Sunshine States."
The cast is impeccable -- Edie Falco, Angela Bassett, Jane Alexander, Bill Cobbs (when will this man get an Oscar nomination?), Timothy Hutton, Mary Steenburgen... the list goes on. And many of Sayles' scenes are either beautifully written or contain some lovely, endearing, truthful passages. On the whole, I'm sorry to report, the film sags under the burden of its tired message. That is, money-grubbing real estate developers who covet the almighty dollar over the environment, or the people who live on the land they plan to develop, are bad. And the honest, hard-working folks who live on that land are various shades of saints.
There's not a lot between the two, Harry. Good or bad, weak or strong, black or white. Sayles would do from another writer's opinion (or draft) but then, I suppose, that's why he makes his films on his own. To be without the possibility of rewriting, audience testing, etc. You'll not soon see a John Sayles character on a tub of diet coke at your local Mickey Ds, will ya? And there's something to be said for that, my man.
In the end, "Sunshine State" will appeal to hard-core Sayles fans and not many others. Still, the man will keep on gathering up his thousand dollar bills from the floors of Hollywood movie studios and continue to make his personal films. Good for him. If only he'd pick up the pace and cut twenty minutes from this one, he would've gotten my thumbs up.
Peace, Harry. Time for a quick spin on the True Love before that storm blows in.
I remain,
C.K. Dexter Haven
