Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25951 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-09-20
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Black & White, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 92 minutes

Synopsis
Aldolpho Rollo, a struggling screenwriter-filmmaker longing for international success, lives in a run-down building where he can barely make his rent. When his landlords menace him with foreboding promises to do him bodily harm, they frighten the jejune artist into taking charge of his financial situation. With no monetary recourse, Aldolpho has to stop nursing his 500-page screenplay and actually try selling it. Much to his surprise, Joe, a seemingly wealthy eccentric older gentleman, offers Aldolpho $1,000 cash for the work. Joe quickly becomes Aldolpho's benevolent guardian, instilling him with confidence, helping him woo dreamgirl Angelica, and nurturing his artistic goals. But the would-be artist and his benefactor soon clash over the content of the film, and it takes a tragedy before Aldolpho can begin to understand Joe's point-of-view and create the work he's dreamed of.

Customer Reviews

Just beautiful
Alexandre Rockwell's tale of the beleaguered auteur may have a touch of the autobiographical, but it also has something of the fantastic about it. Shot in grainy black and white on a shoestring it stars the fabulous Steve Buscemi with support from the always great Seymour Cassel and Jennifer Beals (at the time married to Rockwell). Stellar cameos include Jim Jarmusch, Carol Kane, Stanley Tucci and Sam Rockwell (no relation!) to name a few.

Buscemi is a struggling film-maker looking for development money for his 500 page 'art film'. Cassel is the shady businessman and all round fun guy who takes the uber-serious Buscemi under his wing, and Beals is the angelic neighbour who he wants to propel to stardom - not that she cares.

This is a beautiful film full of humour, crazy characters (Will Patton does a scene-stealing turn as Cassel's psychotic brother, Skippy), and it most deservedly won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 1992.