Albino Alligator

As everyone already knows, Kevin Spacey is an extremely good actor who never does a bad job acting. The man is also a great singer (check out the soundtrack to "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"), so it's not a surprise that he turns out to be multitalented; he's obviously a great director as well. This is the first movie he has ever made and it is such an engrossing and interesting movie. The acting is also superb, Matt Dillon doing such a great job was a surprise to me. The story itself is also interesting, and I liked the fact that this movie was in many ways theatrical. It doesn't work in every movie, but with this premise it worked out fine. Let's hope Spacey directs many more movies!

All the characters in this movie have a bad attitude. I guess it's understandable, because half of them just screwed up a robbery and half of them are being held hostage by the screw-ups.

Sinise, Dillon and Fitchner play the wannabe thieves, who try to escape the consequences by barricading themselves in a basement bar. The problem is, there are a ton of cops outside the front door and no other exits out of the bar. Also a problem are the mouthy people in the bar: Dunaway and Walsh serve the drinks with sarcasm and the three lippy patrons are hanging out in there for various reasons of their own.

This movie could have been a little tighter, but overall, not too bad. My spouse was a little bored shortly after they crashed the bar but we decided to keep watching it and now we're glad we did.

Joe Mantegna definitely has the best scene in "Albino Alligator". It is a humorous infusion into a movie that at times borders on being terminal. Starts out fast with three petty criminals, Dillon, Sinese, and Fichtner, fleeing a botched robbery. Unfortunately once they take refuge in a basement bar, their endless posturing and planning, grinds on the film. There is nothing wrong with the acting, including a great supporting effort from M. Emmet Walsh. Other than the above mentioned scene, Mantegna is somewhat wasted in a one dimensional role. Faye Dunaway is interesting, and William Fichtner is in menacing psycho mode. Marginally recommended. - MERK

This movie plays like a play and tellingly the best performances come from the stage actors. Gary Sinise delivers a controlled performance that demonstrates the humanity of his character, while William Fichtner manages to carry the bulk of the humor and the horror without going over the top. The script and Spacey's direction keep the tension high despite being confined to one room for much of the movie. The film deals with a botched heist (not the sort of story-line that is exactly lacking in Hollywood these days) and the relationships between the three main criminals. What we see is the thin lines between loyalty and survival, and the great lengths some will go to ensure their own preservation, even at the expense of those closest to them.

There are moments in intense drama throughout the film, and a climax that you probably won't see coming, but overall, Albino Alligator reminds me of that glass of water in the middle of the night. Spacey lacks the ability to create a lot of tension and keep it going. The characters are mostly chatting away, trying to think of a plan... and they're to calm and too articulate. There's even a scene where the crooks are playing pool with a whole swarm of armed cops right outside, ready to strike. At one point, one of the crooks even call the police who are right outside the bar. It's refreshing, but with flaws...

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

There are movies that are made because the studios know they'll make money. There are the movies that are made because someone believed they would and they held out long enough to get them made. Then there are the "actor's movies," the ones any actor worth his/her salt would love to make themselves. This is Kevin Spacey's "actor's movie." That's not a bad term in the least. The majority of the movie is set inside a New Orleans bar, but the scenery doesn't get tiresome. This is due to the fantastic performances of the cast. I love it when I can watch a movie and forget that the person I'm watching is otherwise known as Gary Sinise, Faye Dunaway, or Viggo Mortenson.

The film is also a classic tale of inhumanity, on how far people need to or will go to save their own skin, on choices. It sounds cliché, but the movie doesn't come across that way in the least. Overall, I recommend the film for a lazy Saturday afternoon, like it was for me.