SILVER CITY
Actor Chris Cooper plays the title role as a dead-on impersonation of George W. Bush, and that alone will make 'blue-staters' giggle everytime he appears!
3 stars (out of 4) for Sayles-fans [(2004)USA/Newmarket/Rated R] - (2 hrs. 9 min.)
Written, directed, & edited by John Sayles
Characters/Cast
Danny O'Brien - Danny Huston
Nora Allardyce (the TV reporter) - Maria Bello
Chandler Tyson (the lobbyist) - Billy Zane
Richard "Dickie" Pilager (the candidate) - Chris Cooper
Chuck Raven (the campaign manager) - Richard Dreyfuss
Review:
This film has a political angle but it's not a complete diatribe on bad politicking, especially since indie auteur John Sayles has a number of issues on his mind at all times.
Film opens with a TV promo shoot for 'George W. Bush'-like good old boy, gubernatorial candidate 'Dickie Pilager' (Cooper) and his 'Karl Rove'-like campaign manager 'Chuck Raven' (Dreyfuss).
Immediately, a worst-case scenario occurs that is an accident in actuality but Raven suspects foul play and hires private detective 'Danny O'Brien' (Huston) to put some pressure on the usual suspects.
Even though Sayles uses campaign slogan intertitles throughout the film to keep the audience focused on the Pilager campaign, the major plotline revolves around O'Brien's murder investigation which proves to be the the proverbial tip of the iceberg as it opens up issues regarding illegal immigration, environmental violations, and a plan to curcumvent governmental regulations.
The film's title references a new community housing project called 'Silver City' that will line the pockets of its well-to-do investors if they can get a few laws loosened up with the help of their new governor who's practically a shoo-in for the election
Great acting ensemble will win some converts to Sayles' laidback style, and Chris Cooper ("Seabiscuit") has never been funnier with a dead-on impersonation of a simpleton turned statesman (sorry Bushies). This film would be worth seeing just for his performance, but his role is minimized somewhat leaving the rising star Danny Huston ("Birth") to carry most of the movie which he ably does.
Check it out!
Supporting Characters/Cast
Sen. Jud Pilager (Dickie's dad) - Michael Murphy
Maddy Pilager (Dickie's sister) - Daryl Hannah
Wes Benteen (the money man) - Kris Kristofferson
Grace Seymour (Danny's boss) - Mary Kay Place
Mort Seymour (her husband) - David Clennon
Cliff Castleton (radio DJ) - Miguel Ferrer
Casey Lyle - Ralph Waite
Tony Guerra - Sal Lopez
Sheriff Joe Skaggs - James Gammon
Mitch Paine - Tim Roth
Karen Cross - Thora Birch
Vince Esparza - Luis Saguar
Lupe Montoya - Alma Delfina
Frito Lopez - Aaron Vieyra
Rafi Quinones - Hugo Carbajal
Lloyd - Cajardo Lindsey
Yanez - Rodney Lizcano
Crew:
Photography by Edward Done & Haskell Wexler
Score by Mason Daring
Website
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