The Catch? A bar of Mexican Vampires. (No, no, just kidding.)
Anyway, you can probably guess which sister Jennifer Jason Leigh is. Her eyes smeared with so much mascara, she looks like she was sired by raccoons, Leigh plays Sadie Flood, semi-pro fuck-up, with so much jittery ferocity and smiling desperation, she reminded me of one of the ex- roommates I repeatedly hid my eyes. Mare Winningham plays Georgia, a woman who has attained her life through a quiet, emotionally guarded determination. It is her role that is more complex, and it is with her role that the movie largely fails. While I like subtle character pieces, this movie does little more than hint at the jealousy and rage Georgia might have for Sadie's self-destructive passion, and so leaves a very empty feeling when one leaves the theater.
Also frustrating is the portrait of the music itself: Leigh sings off-key, either waveringly or with a fiery devotion. In other words, she sings Rock and Roll. Winningham sings beautifully, with a clear trilling voice-- folk-singing at its best. But Georgia somehow paints Seattle as a town that only appreciates Georgia's style and competence, while Sadie flounders. In real life, Sadie would probably wind up with an MTV buzz clip, fronting a band called Wet Nurse. I was almost bemused at how the movie shows everyone in the music business as stable and sane, except for Sadie, a black bluesman, and the drummer. That's a nice set of stereotypes to perpetuate.
There are some good music performances (I liked all of Leigh's numbers, and John Doe does some beautiful Velvet Underground covers and a ripping "Hava Naguila.") Ted Levine, formerly known for dancing with his penis tucked between his legs in Silence of the Lambs is very charismatic as Winningham's husband. Great job avoiding the typecasting, Ted. I liked the sutlety of this movie, and the good ear Barbara Turner has for dialogue. If only the movie had bothered to explore what it set up, I would have liked it much more.
All written material on these pages is © 1997 by Jeff Lester. With the exception of non-profit distribution, all other rights are reserved.