Silver City Review

"SILVER CITY" reviews

Movie

SILVER CITY

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2005-10-25 21:09:37

Provider

Review

This may be a clear anti-Bush film from indie filmmaker John Sayles - it was released in the US to coincide with last year's Presidential elections - but, thankfully, it takes the humourous/mysterious/thrilling high road and doesn't beat the viewer over the head with political rhetoric.

Adaptation Oscar winner Chris Cooper plays Dickie Pilager (okay, a joke name like that doesn't suggest an intelligent movie but hang in there). He may be from Colorado as opposed to Texas but the puppet-like wannabe President's dorkish behaviour and senator father, Jud Pilager (Michael Murphy), give enough indication as to who's being lampooned here. Cooper helps to bring this out further with his superb vacant facial expressions.

The action begins when a dead body floats up in a Colorado lake while Dickie is filming a campaign commercial. Dickie's campaign manager, Chuck Raven (the reliably excellent Richard Dreyfuss), hires a reporter-turned-detective played by Danny Huston to investigate.

There are admirable performances by Daryl Hannah as Dickie's sexy sister and Billy Zane as a lobbyist, but the choice lines are certainly uttered by Dreyfuss. Considering this movie was made for less than $6 million and was shot in six weeks, it's a real triumph that shows what can be done if you have an intelligent script.