|
One Night at McCool's is a charming little gem of a movie I can't believe I passed over first time
around. It unravels as a kind of Rashomon-style imbroghlio centering around the sudden
intrusion of Liv Tyler's seductive Angel into the lives of three lost souls - John Goodman's
sanctimonious detective, Paul Reiser's oedipally constipated lawyer & Matt Dillon's deadbeat bartender.
As Angel goes about wrapping each character around her finger, confusion, comedy & catastrophe ensue.
The movie bathes itself in b-movie pretension & noirish scheming and although the glossy production values
often seem at odds with its offbeat leanings, McCool's ultimately captures the spirit of both
alternative lo-fi classics like Palookaville & eighty-minute masterpieces such as The Monster Squad.
There's exemplary turns from the ensemble cast, particularly a rare slice of mocking(?) self-deprecation
from Michael Douglas as the Johnny Cash-loving, bingo-obsessed pensioner supplementing his income as
a hitman. Tyler initially appears miscast as the buxom femme fatale but her plain-jane angelic innocence
suits the character perfectly. John Goodman's long-suffering priest also stands out from the pack & it's
nice to see Andrew Dice Clay (a poor man's Denis Leary) finally rescued from the slag heap of
b-movie action hell & back on the big screen. Looking down the cast list, I'd hazard a guess this is some
kind of Saturday Night Live reunion, which might explain the warm familiarity the cast seem to exude for the project,
a warmth that elevates what is essentially an hour-long run-up to a single visual gag (but what a gag it
is) to a memorable slice of above-average entertainment.
The punchline, when it does come, is worth the wait. If you don't want me to spoil it
then turn away now but any film that can match the intensity of a True Romance style shootout to
a YMCA soundtrack is definitely worth a look in my book.
Like I said: charming.
RATING: (c)Limer 2003
|
One Night at McCool's (Satellite: May 2003)
