Who reads Dante’s Inferno and decides that it is a comedy? I mean, besides it being a “Divine Comedy”. Apparently Writer/Director Hue Rhodes did for his debut feature, based on the classic work by Dante Alighieri. Steve Buscemi plays John Alighieri, a recovering gambling addict from Las Vegas who is now living low as a car insurance claims adjuster. His circle of friends consists of Jill (Sarah Silverman) who has a fetish for smiley faces (and hair pulling) and works in the cubicle next to him. When John works up the confidence to ask his boss Mr. Townsend (Peter Dinklage) for a raise, he is instead thrust into a promotion to fraud investigation that consists of hitting the road with the no-nonsense Virgil (The 40 Year-Old Virgin’s Romany Malco).
What follows is a parade of crazy characters in a heightened reality not unlike the Coen Brother’s take on Homer’s The Odyssey, “O Brother Where Art Thou?” While Virgil and John investigate an insurance claim filed by a stripper in a wheelchair named “Tasty D Lite” (Emmanuelle Chriqui) they encounter any number of oddities and reoccurring gas station mini marts. Each convenience mart serves to fuel John’s lapsing break from gambling, where he plays the lotto and scratch off tickets like his life depended on it. This addiction of his, which we are introduced to from the get go as an explanation of why John no longer lives in Las Vegas (he drove until he ran out of gas- landing him in Albuquerque, NM), seems to be his failing, though not entirely his passion. John is a well rounded character that Buscemi gives a tremendous depth which may not have been on the page. We understand that he cares about more than gambling, that he has a true drive for success in work and life, even if he lapses often. We see this every time he talks his way into getting what he wants out of a stranger, or has the instinct to call Jill from the road.
The allegory (perhaps there’s a connection between this word and Alighieri?) of The Inferno as applied to wandering the desert on an insurance fraud claim is a dynamic one. Several audience members at my screening didn’t even get the Inferno references without it being spelled out for them afterward, but a greater appreciation can be culled from the film with a passing knowledge of the work. For those that aren’t familiar, the concept of traveling through hell meeting sinners along the way is pretty much all you’ll need to know. Look for many differing references to heaven and hell, both obvious (flames) and subtle (color palettes). Those who are sinners are marked by the presence of red, whether in clothing, set dressing or lighting. Places portrayed with the potential for good or bad seem to be marked by tones of blue, like the strip club or various mini-marts (save the one in Las Vegas, which is red), and Jill herself, with her obsession with smiley-faces, is a constant burst of yellow making her stand out as seemingly the one happy, good (though probably naïve) person in the whole fracas.
Virgil is a charred coal man dressed in straight black the entire film. Malco plays Virgil excellently with a confidence and otherworldly manner which only adds to John’s confusion through the processional of weirdness. By the time you learn more about him, he is gone, leaving you thinking about exactly why he acted the way he did through the whole ordeal. Deeper mysteries are left for the audience to mostly put together themselves, something this reviewer appreciates in his cinematic experiences. John is subjected to torment much like the great detectives of noir fiction, the center of a swirling swindle full of outlandish people and events. This touch that can’t help but feel intentional, in John’s suit, Jill’s clothing, and the way the desert reflects the “too bright” noir stories of the west coast. That is not to mention a Citizen Kane-nodding look back at the events that led John to his situation at the opening to the film, beat and dirty, carrying a wad of cash, as he begins to narrate and events unfold.
The entire film is impressive for a first time filmmaker like Rhodes, whose material is obviously elevated by the experiences and talented cast he has assembled. Even cameo roles are filled by known talent, some of whom are put in awkward situations or are given no face time. There is a feeling of mid-90’s independent film to the whole thing, not just because of budget or star, but in the way the people behind it seem so passionate, never knowing if this could be their only shot. Had this been 15 years ago, this film would be released by a company like Miramax, who sadly closed their doors completely this week after years under corporate control by Disney and the parting of the Weinstein brothers who steered the ship from the beginning. Saint John of Las Vegas is a film for those of us who remember that greater era for independent cinema, and strive to find the tiniest glimmer it could reemerge.
*** Three stars – Take it or leave it
Saint John of Las Vegas opens today on select screens. Check your local listings or http://saintjohnmovie.com/ for more.
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