Down by Law

DOWN BY LAW (1986) - Jan. 27, 2011
I have a few issues with Down by Law. My main issue is that the two main characters, played by Tom Waits (in a fairly mediocre performance) and John Lurie (in a performance that isn’t exactly great, but which looks pretty good next to Waits) are not particularly compelling at all. Neither is particularly likable or interesting, so spending 107 minutes with them becomes a bit of a chore. This is exacerbated by the total absence of a plot, which makes the shoddiness of the characters all the more apparent. Then there’s the boisterous Roberto Benigni, who seems to be playing a variation on himself (complete with the name Roberto). He’s a much more interesting figure than the other two, though he does kind of seem out of place, like he randomly wandered onto the set and was inserted into the movie on a whim.  The movie also really takes its time, with long stretches in which not all that much happens.  I did like Robby Müller’s black and white cinematography. Aside from that? The film wasn’t terrible, I suppose. I’ve certainly seen worse. But considering its stature as an American independent classic, I was disappointed.  *1/2