Stars and Bars

I stumbled across this film on HBO years ago, and am so glad I recorded it, as I could never find it on DVD. I have always been a big Daniel Day Lewis fan, and this is unlike anything else I have ever seen him do. It is hard to believe this is the same year he appeared in "The Unbearable Lightness of Being;" what a contrast! It truly demonstrates his range and willingness to completely inhabit any role he takes on. Make no mistake- it is a really quirky film, but there are hilarious moments, and the supporting cast contribute to the overall effect. Just go with the flow!

A very strange fish-out-of-water comedy with straight-laced stiff-upper-lip British art dealer Daniel Day-Lewis sent down South to try to purchase a priceless painting from kooky patriarch Harry Dean Stanton and contending with the various family lunatics. The tone of the film is quite uneven and the comedic moments are more mildly amusing rather than laugh-out-loud funny. Other films and books have done both the "normal guy out of his depth" and lampoon of the Southern Gothic family more expertly, but that is not to indicate that the film does not have some memorable moments. Some of the supporting performances are well done, particularly Maury Chaykin's obnoxious Elvis-garbed bully son and Martha Plimpton, as the sex-crazed teenager, who accompanies Day-Lewis on his trip. Unfortunately, others like Joan Cusack, Glenne Headley, Will Patton and Laurie Metcalf are either stuck with overly broad roles or limited screen time. Pat O'Connor's direction is rather clumsy and rough resulting in a film that moves in starts and stops, and misses the mark more often than not. Arguably the most interesting reason to see the film is Day-Lewis himself. Usually he plays straight dramatic roles filled with sweaty angst, it is rare to see him in a comedy, much less playing such a well-intentioned, discombobulated dweeb. He is surprisingly appealing and throws himself body and soul into the part, even when the film does not remotely deserve such consideration. It is a shame that he has refrained from doing much comedy, because he does show some skill in frantic slapstick moments - whether running around a hotel trying to prevent the meeting of two women or escaping from gangsters buck naked after being forced to strip. Not to digress, but Day-Lewis' surprising full frontal nude scene during the strip and escape is certainly another plus for any fans of his as, much like comedy, nudity is something he rarely does in his dramas.

It may be a far cry from classic screwball comedy, but even during its many forgettable moments this fish-out-of-water farce isn't a total write-off. Certainly there's nothing in it to justify the cold-blooded lack of confidence that killed it at the Box Office: the throwaway release it received is usually reserved for lame dogs someone wants put out of misery, and in this case it worked.

At least the film never pretends to be anything more than what it is: a self-consciously wacky social comedy with an outsider's exaggerated, broad-as-a-barn-door view of American manners, starring Daniel Day Lewis as a dapper English art appraiser who runs into an oddball collection of cartoon Confederate rebels while investigating a lost Renoir in backwoods Georgia. All the film needs is a laugh-track to become a respectable TV sitcom (a degenerate Beverly Hillbillies?), but director Pat O'Connor doesn't show much aptitude for low comedy, and the laughs collapse into a feeble slapstick conclusion, leaving the door wide open for a sequel which will never be made.

"Stars and Bars" is not that bad, but it's not that good to warrant many words of praise. Without a doubt it's the weakest film on Daniel Day-Lewis resume, yet it's not his fault since he delivers a nice comedic performance. The story, as written by novelist William Boyd and directed by Pat O'Connor, is all over the place with its criticism on cultural clashes between Americans and British, with a series of unfunny moments, stereotypes and cliches. A couple of scenes work, the acting is quite good but the final result is awkward. It might be one of those cases that work best on a book, but doesn't translate well as a movie.

The premise is somewhat interesting and with a large ensamble cast we are easily seduced by everything, at first. Day-Lewis plays Henderson Dores, a shy and polite British art expert who is commissioned to purchase a rare Renoir painting that was somehow acquired by a hillbilly American family living down south.

The patriarch Loomis (Harry Dean Stanton) doesn't have a clue about the real worth of such lovely painting and accepts the other man's offer. The problem arises when other members of the family begin to interfere with the selling, ruining the foreign man's peace of mind, and a few women he's connected are also part of the confusion like his boss wife (Laurie Metcalf), her teenage daughter (Martha Plimpton) who invited herself to the trip as she's obsessed with him; and a potential girlfriend (Joan Cusack).

What's to like about "Stars and Bars"? The bond between Henderson and Loomis, the only meaningful interaction between characters despite the Brit sort of fooling the other guy. But it's a great connection as they share common values about what's important in life. The dinner scene with family and friends gathered is amazingly hilarious with many action going on but we're mostly focused on Spalding Gray making some on the teenage girl, and she surprises him in a painful manner. And the bookened scenes with Keith David as Henderson's fencing instructor.

As for the rest...it's simply a series of repetitive acts against the leading man, over-the-top anti-British scenarios that go nowhere, and some odd twists related with the family members - the blind woman who sees everything, the brother that never leaves the room to later appear on a key moment, etc. The generalization bias on both cultures were simply annoying and thrown in a dumb manner.

As said earlier, Daniel Day-Lewis was good in it, but not great. It's unlike anything we're used to see him doing, since he's mostly an amazing dramatic performer, and here he tries for many good humored moments and a very physical comedy. Had the filmmakers waited a little longer to make this film, the perfect choice for the role would be Hugh Grant, especially in the 1990's.

Anyway, they tried too hard to get some laughs from us, and I tried too hard to like it. Simply couldn't. 5/10.

William Boyd's "Stars and Bars" - the book - stands in the great tradition of the English comic novel (Evelyn Waugh being one of Boyd's masters and inspirators). Now, I've seen the film only in German language... That's a pity because of the resulting demi-lack of Englishman-in-New-York-effects. As you can image, the German translation cannot be that perfect. I guess that the linguistical misunderstandings between the "hero" (Day Lewis) and the bizarre Georgian family with Anglophobic slursare are ten times funnier in the original version (as they are in the book). Anyway, I liked the film immediately and I'm happy to have taped it. Great cast! Unforgettable: Maury Chaykin as Elvis-like Freeborn.