Indie Classics: Buffalo ‘66
Buffalo ‘66 (1998) is the quintessential story of how love changes people for the best. Though this may be a cliched concept, the film depicted it in a most unusual way. This bizarre romantic comedy was directed by and stars Vincent Gallo, who also wrote the screenplay and composed the musical score for the movie.
The movie takes place in Buffalo, New York (Gallo’s real life hometown). Billy (Gallo) is a surly, aggressive, and clearly bitter man who has just gotten out of prison. In order to keep up the charade of having “gone away on business” in front of his parents, Billy kidnaps Layla (Christina Ricci) from a dance studio where he unsuccessfully tried to use the restroom, and forces her to pretend to be his wife during dinner with his mother and father. But after the act is up and Billy tells Layla she’s free to go, she insists on staying with him. Despite his lack of social skills, or any affection towards her, Layla decides that she truly likes Billy. While Layla is experiencing what can only be explains as Stockholm syndrome-turned genuine affection, Billy too undergoes a transformation during their time together. He begins to open up to Layla, emotionally and physically, as he allows her to eventually touch him. Not only does Billy begin to let his guard down around Layla, but her love for him makes Billy have a change of heart about murdering a former football player whom he holds indirectly responsible for his time in jail, and even apologizes to his friend “Goon” for having been verbally abusive towards him in the past. By the final scene in the movie, where you see Billy grinning in the coffee shop while buying donuts and hot chocolate for his “girlfriend” as he finally calls her, its clear that Billy is a changed man.
My favorite thing about this film is how very quotable it is. Vincent Gallo brings a hilarious, constantly agitated delivery to all of Billy’s lines, resulting in brilliant catchphrases. From threatening to never talk to a girl he had kidnapped moments earlier again, if she didn’t do what he asked, to Billy repeatedly trying to explain to Layla that they have to look as though they’re “spanning time” in a photograph for his parents, Gallo creates a character not only of great depth, but excellent comic timing to boot.
As a director, Gallo’s style (in this particular film) is hard to describe. He doesn’t rely on edgy camera technique or unique angles. I would say the nature of “Buffalo ‘66″ is more in the sound of the movie. Gallo mixes scenes of intense, almost unnatural silence with majestic action sequences accompanied by music of his own composition. In one such scene, perhaps the most theatrical, or surreal scene in the movie, Layla begins to tap dance to a haunting rock song while killing time in a bowling ally. Though undoubtably admirable directorial work, Gallo steals the show as an actor more so than a director over all.
Lastly, and very noteworthy, “Buffalo ‘66″ ends on a very touching note. I liked how Gallo didn’t shy away from a happy ending as some indie films due for the sake of being “edgy”. Altogether I was very pleased with how the movie managed to be kind without being sentimental, and powerful without being tragic.
Tags: Anastassia Smordinskaya, Buffalo 66, Christina Ricci, Vincent Gallo
January 13th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
I thought Buffalo ‘66 was great. The parents were horrific. Gallo’s acting was fantastic. The ending was probably the most sincerely happy ending to a film I’d seen all year. The only thing I wished is that Layla’s character was investigated more fully. If she had simply put in a phone call to her parents at the hotel, or mentioned how emotionally detached she was from her family, then I feel the audience wouldn’t be left wondering about this loose end. This was the only thing that removed me from the realism of the film. Otherwise, a great film, summarized very well in this review.