Trees Lounge (1996)

Trees Lounge
Good movie! came as expected (new) and arrived in time for christmas- I think I ordered it a couple weeks before.

Small, Rough...but Excellent.
I don't have anything controversial to say here as I basically feel the same way about Trees Lounge as everybody else. I loved it when I saw it a decade ago and my opinion has not changed in the time since. I rented it the other day and was as pleased as I was the first time around. Buscemi's virgin directorial effort could not have been more resonant. He portrays Tommy as both a hero and an anti-hero. The plot itself takes us to quite familiar places as there isn't anything too "Hollywood" about this production. It is not happy, but its realism offers great value. Trees Lounge has the type of feel that Ed Burns has tried to create continuously over his career, but was only able to do so in Brothers McMullen. All of the ambiguities shared by Buscemi and his cast in the film add up to one thing: life.

Buscemi's Masterpiece
This movie is all about the little things; It's the awkward comments and familiar situations that make you feel like you know these people and have been in their homes. Whether it's the fact Buscemi is a mechanic who doesn't have a working car, or the fact he is constantly being cheated out of cocaine, this movie brings a smile to my face every time. This is a slice of life type movie, filled with colorful but not 'pre-meditated' characters. I always got the feeling I was watching these people, not the actors playing them. This film derives much of it's humor from the problems that can plague any of us, from drug and alcohol problems to losing someone you loved to a best friend. There is lots to laugh at here, but has a nice dramatic side when needed. This was Steve's first movie from the directors side; When you couple that with his acting here, you can't say he didn't do everthing right here. Plus I never thought in my wildest dreams I'd ever see his mug driving an ice cream truck.