This World, Then the Fireworks

If you like neo-noir, or the real thing from the fifties, then this film is for you. The look and feel of a fifties classic is all over this film from the cinematography to the music to the narration.

It is a story about a totally dysfunctional family. The children witnessed their father killed while shagging the cop's wife from across the street. Mom didn't seem to mind, but then she was wacko, too. Why do people play in their own back yard? The kids grow up totally weird as expected. Gina Gershon (Bound) plays the sister, who left a rich husband to become a prostitute. She had that classic look of the Fifties - white skin and the full pouty lips. Style the hair right and she could be Ava Gardner. Is there something going on with her brother (Billy Zane) that is more than brotherly love. That is for you to figure out.

Sheryl Lee ("Twin Peaks", Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, John Carpenter's Vampires) can always be counted upon to present skintastic moments in her films. She comes through here as a sex-crazed cop who hooks up with the brother.

Lots of death, of course, as that is the rule for noir, and lots of passionate and sexy moments. An entertaining Fifties film presented as they never could in the Fifties.

Beautifully filmed with a hallmark noir smoky narrative by Billy Zane, who plays the main character, Marty Lakewood. All the characters in this movie, like this movie, are intriguing but so very flawed. But then, aren't we all? The cast was superb, Rue Mclanahan as a feeble mother whose life has outplayed her strength, Billy Zane as Marty Lakewood, a complex parasitic character driven, or being driven, by an ethos perhaps only he understands. Sheryl Lee was phenomenal as a character so desperately needy it blurs your vision, and Gina Gershon plays the twin sister to Marty Lakewood, and she is simultaneously vulnerable and calloused. I can't really tie this movie down with any certainty, but it lingered with me for days, and that is a hallmark of something good. There are some clunky scenes, some gorgeous scenes and there are beautiful diaphanous elements of human nature- there is a dim light within apathy and arrogance, a bond within self indulgence and narcissism- I think the movie is definitely worth checking out.

This is not a film for everyone. It is dark, sultry, twisted and self indulgent, and that doesn’t have mass appeal nowadays unless Quentin Tarantino is directing and people are shooting each other in the face. It is, however, a terrific piece of filmmaking and as a fifties period piece it is surpassed only by films actually made in the fifties.

It is the story of brother and sister twins who were traumatized as children and turn out quite screwed up as adults. There is the ever present hint of incest looming in their relationship and they are both prone to lascivious escapades. The story serves up a slice of their lustfully demented lives together.

You almost have to be over 50 to appreciate this movie or be someone who likes old black and white films from that era. Director Michael Oblowitz has recreated not just the look, but the feel of the period. Tom Priestly, who went on to be the cinematographer on “The Thomas Crown Affair” did a fantastic job with filters and lighting to give the film an authentic fifties feel. The sets, props, costumes and music were all meticulously accurate. The use of a first person narrative (the story was narrated by Marty [Billy Zane]) was a very popular device in 40’s and 50’s films (think Humphrey Bogart).

Unfortunately, the film was more form than substance since the story was a just meandering film noir libido ride. Still, for fifties nostalgia buffs, this is a treat.

Gina Gershon was fabulous as Carol. She was sexy, seductive, and lewd while simultaneously being vulnerable and fragile. I can’t remember seeing her in a role better suited to her talents, nor can I remember her giving a better performance. Billy Zane was really wrong for this part. His acting was fine, but it failed to capture the character considering the context of the period. Men of this period were known for their strength and impassive response to almost everything. Naturally this would always lead to a great scene marked by a fit of anger somewhere in the film as the pressure became too great for him to bear. Zane was too mercurial in his portrayal of this character. He had the male sex thing down, but he came across as shrill and defensive in a lot of scenes, very un-fifties.

Sheryl Lee gave a terrific performance as Lois, the sex crazed lady cop who becomes obsessed with Marty. We may never hear from her again, but for one film she grabbed the spotlight and ran with it. She was so desperately needy and shameless in her appetite for Marty that it seemed she couldn’t live unless she was breathing the air he just exhaled.

I gave this film a 7/10. It is a 10 as far as filmmaking and period authenticity and the story was about a 5. If you like film noir, unabashed lust and the fifties, this movie is a must see.

Gorgeous people doing grisly things. Family values...IS he sleeping with his sister? Will he kill his girl friend? Remember when slips were risque? Savor the flavor of the fifties. Big flashy cars. Good girls going to Tijuana for bad reasons. Tough women who really need a man to protect them. Bring your nostalgia and your sense of humor. Let the spell begin.

There are a lot of plot holes and implausibilities in this one, but overall I thought it was worth a look because Sheryl Lee gives a great performance that is full of emotion, conflict, and sensuality. Gina Gershon does a nice job too, and the small-town 1950's atmosphere is nicely done. The odd tension between the siblings is overplayed and some of the character's actions don't seem very credible to me, but still an interesting film as a one-off when better options aren't around.