This is a story of innocence and betrayal, a lovely little story by Spike Lee. Very nearly Shakespearean. It’s the Summer of a famous American serial killer, Son of Sam.
The real Adrian Brody – a fresh, engaging character. Before they turned him into a pretentious, arrogant, passionless leading man.
Disco is disgusting, however as merely setting it is sweet, and this girl loves to dance.
Leguizamo is great as Vinny, the full of himself, disco king who fucks anything that moves.
Son of Sam steps into this world, unnoticed.
Dionna (Mira Sorvino) is cute, the wronged girlfriend, the dancing princess. Richie (Adrian Brody) is a naïve soul, wannabe punk.
This is a great little story about lost fools and their circles of relationships, in a hot, sweaty and shitty little section of New York, amidst the search for a murderer.
A serial killer – a fat, moronic creep (the kind who would get bullied a lot as a kid.)
It is funnier and more sentimental than a thriller. A dark, indie romance juxtaposed with Leguizamo’s anti-romantic personality and religious guilt. A drama surrounded by sexual complications.
The beautiful Ruby (Jennifer Esposito) is sweet, as the romantic harlot with a heart of gold, who is fully accepting of Richie’s perverted alternative income.
Dionna is a sensual dancer. Disco still sucks, but there’s so many other antagonistic forces in this film, it’s worth the watch. There are plenty of punk outcasts to love, despite the disco.
Next minute we have Leguizamo freaking out and snorting coke in his tidy whities. Sorvino trying with all her heart to meet her husband’s needs. But he’s a pervert who believes that God hates perverts, he also fears God neurotically.
Betrayal (to foreshadow the final betrayal,) due to misguided conservatism. And the romance of the anti-establishment deviants – who connect intellectually as well as spiritually. They’re fair prey for the mob that hunts the killer.
Anyone different, strange, is challenged by the laughable Italian slobs, the wise guys who think they’re rebels, but are just another mob of suits.
Being too big of heart, unique and full of passion gets you noticed in the jungle by the weasels and wild pigs.
The saddest victim at first is Sorvino, the quiet, loving wife, who knows she’s being betrayed but stays silent and loyal. She does all she can to serve her man – she even humiliates herself by asking an ex-girlfriend of his, how to fuck her husband.
He doesn’t deserve her. That’s what is felt. But she loves him. A swinger’s orgy which Vinny isn’t emotionally prepared for leads to a breakup of the heavenly couple. The recurring theme of sexual complication.
The final tragedy is gay Bobby (Bruce Springsteen lookalike Brian Tarantina) overreacts to Richie’s threats, because of a previous severe beating. He narcs on Richie to the fat bastard and his mob, this leads to the lynching of Richie.
And a friend against friend betrayal.
3 stars
the joy of eating and the folly of thinking 