Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
I’m hearing a lot of good word of mouth on this one so far. ESQUIRE calls it “the very best Billy Bob Thornton performance ever” in their new issue. Friends who have seen it tell me it’s quite affecting. And based on the little glimpses I’ve seen, I’m intrigued. Here’s a first-time spy with their take on things:
Hey Moriarty,
This is my first time sending in a review, but I got a chance to see Ed Solomon's feature film debut "Levity" last night here in San Francisco at a press screening, joined by Mr. Solomon himself after the film, and felt the need to write. I'm a first time poster, so call me Bearowulf.
The film comes out in mid-April in limited markets. It's an art-house flick, the kind that will probably fall between the cracks in a market of pre-X2/Matrix Hollywood crap, despite a stellar cast led by Billy Bob Thornton, Morgan Freeman, Holly Hunter, and Kirsten Dunst, but it shouldn't.
The story revolves around the narrator, Manuel Jordan (BBT), a convict released after 21 years of time spent in a maximum security prison. Jordan has spent his life in prison for killing a convenience store clerk when he was a teenager. His release comes as a shock to him, as he believes he was sent to prison for the right reason, expecting to stay there for the rest of his life.
He is set free in (a very Canadian looking) Chicago, aimless and clearly haunted by his crime. Thornton gives us so much with very small amounts of dialogue, as he looks for answers on how to move forward with his life, clearly scarred by his crimes. He attempts to contact Adele (Holly Hunter), the sister of the boy he killed, and stumbles into working odd jobs for a mysterious pastor (Morgan Freeman). The pastor (can't remember the character's name) works with inner city kids, providing sermons to ravers who park in his lot and cross the street to an underground club. One of the kids is Kirsten Dunst's character, a girl with secrets of her own.
The theme of redemption, and how we each seek our own places in the world, flows through the script, which despite being slightly slow-paced, hits its marks without being too preachy. It's also surprisingly funny, and Dunst, Hunter, and Freeman all get a number of zingy lines, which doesn't surprise me considering Solomon's background, writing comical bits into "Charlie's Angels" and "It's Garry Shandling's Show". This is definitely a more somber piece, but the comedy comes from a human place, adding nice elements that keep the whole from sinking into a depressing film.
Roger Deakins (of Coen brothers fame) shot the film, and his mark is indelible. The score is done by the lead singer of the band "the Eels", and really adds to the piece, kind of Philip Glass like. Did I mention the acting is stellar? Hunter is sharp-tongued, and looks sexier than I've ever seen her on-screen. Dunst gets great moments here that take the promise of her "wild-child" persona in "Crazy/Beautiful" and build on it. Freeman is fine as usual, though I must admit he has a growl in his voice that fades in and out, and actually became a bit mannered. Thornton, like I said, gives so much by saying so little, and is wonderfully tormented here.
This is definitely a smaller movie. I wonder how they're going to sell it, other than word of mouth from audiences, who all openly applauded as the credits rolled. The Q&A was pretty tame stuff, regarding financing, and getting Oscar winners on board. There was a funny story about the notoriously "odd" BBT, but it would be impolite to reprint here (OK, here's a hint-two words: Pat Boone).
Ed Solomon was a nice guy, and this was a really good feature film directorial debut. I hope that more people get to check it out.
Bearowulf
Nice review, man. Thanks for writing.
"Moriarty" out.
