Review Maven

1996

Screenplay written by Eric Bogosion

Directed by Richard Linklater

Cast:

Jeff…………Giovanni Ribisi

Tim………….Nicky Katt

Pony………..Jayce Bartok

Sooze………..Amie Carie

Buff…………..Steve Zahn

Bee Bee……..Dina Spybey

Nazeer Choudhury……….Ajay Naidu

Pakeesa Choudhury………Samia Shoaib

Erica………………Parker Posey

Memorable Quotes:

So you and I can fuck while your parents are out having dinner at the Sizzler? What are we doing, Jeff? You and me?

Jeff: Go home. Stop Drinking. Go home and sleep it off.

Tim: Sleep what off? What should I sleep off, Jeff? My life? I should go home and go to sleep and when I wake up, what will I be? A pilot? An olympian? Maybe a rock star? I don't think so.

SubUrbia is tale of five suburban youth in their early twenties struggling to find direction.

The main character is Jeff (the philosopher), who is a lost twenty something, living in a pup tent in his parents' garage. Jeff is dating Sooze, an aspiring artist, who is trying to move to New York, much to the dismay of Jeff. They hang out by the Circle A and drink beer with Buff, a drunk spazz who mostly makes up lies about sexual escapades and provides ridiculous comic relief. In stark contrast to the carefree, simple Buff is the cynical Tim, an honorably discharged veteran drunk who cuts each character to shreds with his keen ability to find every character's weakness. His acute understanding of people is both accurate and cruel. He inflicts his hatred on the Pakistani owners of the Circle A by shouting racial slurs every chance he can. Bee Bee has a more minor role in the movie as a fresh out rehab friend of Sooze who is having a hard time dealing with reality.

The movie centers around the return of "Pony", a friend of the group who has left their town of Burnfield and become a rockstar. Pony meets up with the gang at "the corner", with his manager Erica, in tow. Pony tells them of his famous lifestyle, which he claims is a bore and later sings a song about being the "man invisible". Sooze and Pony become completely engrossed in each other and after Jeff becomes suddenly angry during Pony's impromptu concert, they all decide to take a ride in the limo to eat, while Erica and Tim stay behind on the corner.

Erica stays behind to seduce Tim and the limo ride provides several different twists and turns in the story, including Jeff eventually abandoning the group out of frusteration.

I do not wish to divulge too much, as the movie has several changes in the storyline beyond this point in the movie. I will be honest, the movie is dark and it is all dialogue, baby. The story of five lost people, who waste their lives through drunking and bitching is harsh. Nazeer and Pakeesa are the epitome of the American Dream and they are constantly harassed by these aimless youth who are wasting their lives.

Pros: I can relate to this movie. I know people like this. The dialogue, though sometimes contrived, can be very real at times. Richard Linklater did an excellent job directing this movie and the acting is excellent. Nicky Katt, seriously, is the perfect drunken bastard who feels entitled.

Cons: The movie is right at about 2 hours and does drag in parts. The movie is all dialogue and though the point of the movie is to depress the viewer, man, is it depressing. Though I can relate, it can still be hard to stomach.

Overall Grade: B