In the Soup

In the Soup was a part of the 1992 Sundance selection, one of the various efforts engulfed by the wave of the audacious debuts of Tarantino and Rodriguez, and yet it is the freshly resourceful, deeply personal film that either of them have yet to make even now. It is a comedy about a self-conscious screenwriter named Adolfo, played by the ubiquitous Steve Buscemi, who has written an unfilmable 500-page screenplay and is looking for a producer. Wherever Alexandre Rockwell's career has gone since this much-overlooked flick, there is a great deal of clarity here. As an aspiring filmmaker at the time I see it, I can understand a lot more about Adolfo's vision as an aspiring filmmaker than what is actually said. Such a convoluted vision Buscemi has that is relieved and clarified by his experiences.

Such experiences include the appearance of Seymour Cassel's Joe, a fast-talking shyster who promises to produce the film but has his own unique ideas regarding film financing. There are so many realistic scenes between an obsessive, complicated artisan and a simple street guy, intensified by the specific external realities of theirs which clash. There is so much more about Adolfo's emotional state during his exploits with Joe than what he narrates, "Instead of making my movie, I was living in his." Whatever Joe and his intentions may or may not turn out to be, Adolfo now, rather than cloistering in his sketchy NYC apartment synthesizing the styles and thematic elements of his cinema idols, he actually has something personal and profound to say and to write.

A low-budget indie feature debut, originally shot in color but released in black and white, it does not play out like an art film. The story is simple, earnest, real. Even when Buscemi narrates and explains in dialogue his ambitious cinematic visions, it is his character who handles this, not the outer film. There are no airs to the dialogue, and many of the peripheral characters are for comic effect. Will Patton seals the deal on Buscemi's interpretation of Joe and his occupation. Stanley Tucci is hilarious as his neighbor Beals' emotional Hispanic husband. And it's refreshingly funny to see Sam Rockwell as a retarded kid with a helmet.

Reservoir Dogs was an auspicious debut to match, and though El Mariachi hardly compares to the Tarantino film's writing or star power Rodriguez opened almost as many eyes for its generation to the potential of completely autonomous ultra-shoestring-budget indie film-making as Cassavetes did 35 years earlier. So, I am not partially or rationally surprised that Rockwell's In the Soup was lost under the sudden and violent windstorm phenomenon of those other two simultaneous selections, nor do I think that it's nearly as easy for personal filmmakers to remain consistent with critics and audiences as action filmmakers with more common filmgoers' appeal. Nonetheless, this down-to-earth little gem hopefully holds its own over time.

Cast your mind back to the early 1990s when the American indie scene spawned such wonderful movies as 'Johnny Suede', 'Barton Fink', and 'Reservoir Dogs', and this one, Alexandre Rockwell's brilliant debut 'In The Soup'. Rockwell's subsequent career didn't really go the way you'd imagine, and lately he's really slipped off the radar, but that doesn't take anything away from this wonderful little movie. And yes, it IS a "quirky indie comedy", but don't panic, it's a very good one. Indie favourite Steve Buscemi ('Reservoir Dogs', 'Fargo', 'Trees Lounge') plays Aldolpho, a pretentious wanna be movie director, who unexpectedly finds himself partners with Joe (Seymour Cassel), a small time hood. Cassel is one of those character actors who delivers the goods year in, year out, but never gets the attention he deserves. Even if you don't know his name you will recognise his face, from John Cassavetes movies to 'Rushmore'. He's almost always good, but 'In The Soup' is the best I've ever seen him. He gives a superb comic performance, and he and Buscemi work very well together (Buscemi must think so too, as he gave Cassel a small cameo in his directorial debut 'Trees Lounge'.) The rest of the cast are excellent, and include Jennifer Beals ('Vampire's Kiss'), Stanley Tucci ('The Impostors'), Will Patton ('Jesus' Son'), Sam Rockwell ('Safe Men'), Debi Mazar ('Goodfellas'), and others, as well as a quirky turn from Carol Kane ('Taxi') and director Jim Jarmusch ('Mystery Train') as producers of a nude cable TV show. Don't be put off by the "quirky indie comedy" tag, 'In The Soup' is a great movie, and highly recommended to fans of Steve Buscemi and/or Seymour Cassel.

What a refreshing movie! Fans of oddball movies should definitely put this on the to-watch list. Aside from a hilarious cameo by Jim Jaramusch and Carol Kane, Steve Buscemi and Seymour Cassell team play the roles of wanna-be filmmaker and questionable money man like they were born to. Shot in glorious black and white, the film makes a half-hearted serious turn at the end but it is too late to really make a difference in the movie. Also watch for Will Patton's turn as yet another bizarre person.

A neurotic nebbish (Steve Buscemi) lives in two worlds: the fantasy of winning his dream-girl (Jennifer Beals) via a hit movie, and the meager existence he scrapes out from very odd jobs, such as thesping in an arty no-budget flick.

How fitting that Jim Jarmusch has a cameo, because this film is very much a Jarmusch type of movie. Had his name been under the "directed by" heading, I would never have doubted it. Which, I suppose, is a compliment to the real director. You also have to hand it to them for getting such a stellar cast. Buscemi is an indie darling, but Beals had already gone big by this point -- it was brave for her to take this role.

This is not so much a movie about making a movie as it is an underworld film. Not a mob movie, exactly, but definitely people of loose character who walk on the edges of society. And yet, there is something rather charming about them.

Sometimes you're kind of reluctant to watch a movie because you don't really expect anything of it, but then you end up being so pleasantly surprised! I had that experience with "In the Soup". This film truly is a little gem as mentioned before. This strange, offbeat movie grew on me with every scene I watched. Steve Buscemi is brilliantly funny as script-writer and 'wannabe' director Adolpho. Seymour Cassel is great as well but I definitely shouldn't forget to mention Jennifer Beals.. my god, how this woman made me laugh! She was pitch perfect for her role as Buscemi's cranky Latin-American neighbor Angelica, his secret love interest who he wants to star in his movie. I can highly recommend this movie, if you're a Buscemi fan, it's a "must-see" !