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Pure Bollocks Issue 22_034
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F I L M * R E V I E W S
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IN THE SOUP
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Released: varies
Length: 1:30
Rated: 15 (Nudity, language, mature themes)
Starring: Steve Buscemi, Seymour Cassel, Jennifer Beals, Pat Moya, Will
Patton
Director: Alexandre Rockwell
Producers: Jim Stark and Hank Blumenthal
Screenplay: Alexandre Rockwell and Tim Kissel
Music: Mader Released by Triton Pictures
Aldolpho (Steve Buscemi) is an aspiring movie writer/director who has
penned the 500-page script to a film called UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER. Needing
money to pay the rent, Aldolpho offers to sell the script for a few hundred
dollars. Enter Joe (Seymour Cassel), who, much to Aldolpho's surprise, is not
so much interested in buying the script as in producing the movie. So, with
Aldolpho's help, Joe sets out to raise the $250,000 budget - through a variety
of crimes, including theft and drug dealing. While Aldolpho is uncertain about
Joe's methods, his desire to make the movie overcomes his scruples, not only
because he wants to see his work on film but because he wants to put his
beautiful next-door neighbor Angelica (Jennifer Beals) in a starring role.
Obviously writer/director Alexandre Rockwell thought this was a clever
script. I could not disagree more vehemently. I found the entire experience
of watching IN THE SOUP to be generally unpleasant. I can count on one hand the
number of scenes that were inventive, engaging, and/or amusing. Most of the
film is a lifeless muddle, as confused about its characters as it is about its
plot.
The initial premise of IN THE SOUP - an independent film maker trying to
get his movie made - has promise. Recent pictures like THE PLAYER, MISTRESS,
and THE BIG PICTURE have tackled this theme with varying degrees of success,
but there's always room for another well-written, intelligent attempt at this
kind of satire. For whatever reason, however, IN THE SOUP quickly gets away
from this idea. The making of the film becomes subordinate to the methods by
which the money is obtained.
Characterization is abysmal. Aldolpho is flat throughout the entire film,
and, while Joe is certainly a lively personality, he comes off as a caricature.
Jennifer Beals' Angelica is the only one with any degree at depth, but even she
is wildly inconsistent.
The film was made in black-and-white, and I spent a little time wondering
whether that was for cost or artistic reasons. While I don't have a definitive
answer, given the general quality of the project, the former seems more likely.
This is an art film to be sure, but it's plain that it was done on a low
budget. Some of the comments in the movie about money and film technique may
be reflections of real-life difficulties encountered in filming IN THE SOUP.
The ending is a real let-down, but, considering the rest of the movie,
it's not a great surprise. Because of the generally poor quality of character
development, I just didn't care about how things resolved themselves. A strong
ending might have redeemed something from this mess, but it was not to be.
It's hard to deny that there was potential in IN THE SOUP. For a low-
budget film, the cast is surprisingly good and the story foundation is ripe for
a brilliant satire. Beyond those things, however, there's a virtual vacuum.
Excepting a few witty dialogue exchanges and quirky moments, IN THE SOUP is a
combination of a meandering script and rootless characters.
The script-within-a-script, UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER, is a masterpiece of
worthlessness. IN THE SOUP is a case of reality imitating art.
Rating: 5.1 (D+, *1/2)
James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
