Once
again, this year I'm one of the da Vinci Film Festival judges. I've
been doing it a little while. When I book the movies for the Darkside,
I try to be conscious of the sensitivities of my adoring public. It's
the same for the film festival.
Every once in a while I see a film that has some rough edges--so rough that it might mean the film won't see broad distribution. BRONX PARADISE is one such film. Written by the starring actor, who made sure the film fulfilled his vision, it is unapologetically vivid. Period.
There are a lot of good films showing at the da Vinci Film Festival this weekend, but this film was on the fence for a lot of the screeners. A few of us championed it, and made it part of the festival. Here's my review.
BRONX PARADISE
Review by Paul Turner
There is a scene in the Scorsese classic GOOD FELLAS, where we see
Robert DeNiro's character, Jimmy, looking off screen while lighting a
cigarette. The oozing glare of pure malice on DeNiro's face makes THE
SOPRANOS' James Gandolfini
worst menacing sneer about as scary as a poodle begging for ice cream.
In BRONX PARADISE, Wayne Gurman makes Michael Chiklis' character in THE
SHIELD look about as scary as that same poodle. There is no mistaking
the physical resemblance between Gurman and Chiklis--both actors play
bald-headed tough guys who give little forethought to how their actions
are going to impact their own lives and those of others who might have
the misfortune of being in their orbit. Of all the characters listed
above, Wayne Gurman is the one you really, really do not want moving
into your neighborhood.
In the first ten minutes of BRONX PARADISE, I lost track of how many times Wayne, who plays himself, uses the "F" word--and this is before he gets out of his minivan. Now that's entertainment--if you find being in a car with a rage-aholic entertainment. This is all a way of introducing Wayne as he was almost 20 years ago: a small time thug/coke dealer in the Bronx. BRONX PARADISE brings us into the world of drug dealing on the mean streets. Frankly, short of a Turkish prison, it's difficult to imagine a harder place to do business: fighting off the muscle, competition, and general slime. Wayne evolves into his environment and gets through his day the only way he knows how, by using his wits and being the baddest bully on the block. Obviously, there is a lot more to Wayne or this wouldn't be much of a movie.
Gurman, the star and writer of BRONX PARADISE (directed by William Lappe), made a real-life fairytale transition. He dodged certain death (or certainly Death Row) by escaping his life as a coke dealer. He left the 'hood to become a Californian actor. You might have seen him on TV's LAW & ORDER or RESCUE ME. Spending 15 years as a criminal has not left him lacking depth for such roles. Consider this fair warning. BRONX PARADISE will not be embraced by the usual Corvallis movie-going public. It spins with racism--tempered by having a black wife and kids, misogyny untempered by anything, violence to the point of ridiculousness (and, okay, maybe humor), and cruelty unimagined outside of a war zone or a tabloid news rag. Though many viewers may not seek out this type of film, BRONX PARADISE could be worth the ride for those who do. Sometimes a film shouldn't be easy. Sometimes a film needs to get up in the face of those who have been sucked in by the Hollywood version of The Coke Dealer. (There is a great scene where Wayne explains to a friend, with startling compassion, why he should avoid a career selling drugs.) BRONX PARADISE will get the testosterone boiling. In the men, too. It will make you want to take his buddy John (played with riveting "Sweet Jesus! This guy is nucking futs!" realism by John Palumbo) out of the gene pool in the most painful way possible. We see a landscape so devoid of political correctness, it starts to become comical. You will wonder how any scene in BRONX PARADISE could get any grittier, then it will proceed to do so.
There are moments in this film that are, in fact, some of the funniest moments I've seen on the screen this year. When Wayne gives out the awards for the worst behavior in a movie theater, I was in tears. This is a close second to the press conference around why he has a small penis. The fact that these bits flow with the story speaks well of the editing.
There is not a missed note in the acting or cinematography. Each character is brought frighteningly well to life by people who are outstanding actors--or, who were not acting. Film making is hard damn work. A successful film will not show too much of the sweat behind the curtain. BRONX PARADISE uses no clichéd camerawork; you stay riveted on the story, without being distracted by how it was brought to you. There are scenes that run a little long and I think a few more "darlings" could have been "killed off." This may be sacrilege, but I would like to see a "cleaned up" version of this film for the masses. There are so many things to show off in BRONX PARADISE--from the story, to the acting, to the production value--that will never be seen, because the film is too much for a lot of people. Then again, sometimes I underestimate what people can handle. After a 400 mile day on the Harley, when I pull up in front of the Darkside with my 'tude on, little old ladies come up to me and ask about the latest French film. Sometimes objects may be less scary than they seem.
The reality is, Wayne survived his 15 years dealing drugs and violence to the weak, and then walked away. One doesn't get to walk away from that life without there being a change--or a change waiting to happen. This what raises the film above the Let's-See-How-Many-People-We-Can-Piss-Off genre. You will not see it coming. This is the mark of a well written script.
There might be a tendency to wonder if this film is a glorification of the ugly life Wayne led, or whether it manifests some sort of redemption. Maybe the redemption is in showing how truly unredeeming a life it is selling drugs--or is this movie just another way of splattering the screen with Gurman's brand of extreme macho? Here's the deal. Leave morality out of it and judge the film on its own merits. The motivations of the writer/actor are only noise. The movie industry is not a monument to purity in motivations and morality of character. Do a little reading about how Judy Garland was treated during the making of THE WIZARD OF OZ.
BRONX PARADISE is not for everyone. It's not supposed to be. But, that's why there are film festivals and theaters like the Darkside Cinema. Handle with care. Don't try this at home. Keep arms and legs inside the vehicle, and eat all your vegetables. When you get tired of watching movies that stick to the rules, there will be BRONX PARADISE.
Every once in a while I see a film that has some rough edges--so rough that it might mean the film won't see broad distribution. BRONX PARADISE is one such film. Written by the starring actor, who made sure the film fulfilled his vision, it is unapologetically vivid. Period.
There are a lot of good films showing at the da Vinci Film Festival this weekend, but this film was on the fence for a lot of the screeners. A few of us championed it, and made it part of the festival. Here's my review.
BRONX PARADISE
Review by Paul Turner
There is a scene in the Scorsese classic GOOD FELLAS, where we see
Robert DeNiro's character, Jimmy, looking off screen while lighting a
cigarette. The oozing glare of pure malice on DeNiro's face makes THE
SOPRANOS' James Gandolfini
worst menacing sneer about as scary as a poodle begging for ice cream.
In BRONX PARADISE, Wayne Gurman makes Michael Chiklis' character in THE
SHIELD look about as scary as that same poodle. There is no mistaking
the physical resemblance between Gurman and Chiklis--both actors play
bald-headed tough guys who give little forethought to how their actions
are going to impact their own lives and those of others who might have
the misfortune of being in their orbit. Of all the characters listed
above, Wayne Gurman is the one you really, really do not want moving
into your neighborhood.In the first ten minutes of BRONX PARADISE, I lost track of how many times Wayne, who plays himself, uses the "F" word--and this is before he gets out of his minivan. Now that's entertainment--if you find being in a car with a rage-aholic entertainment. This is all a way of introducing Wayne as he was almost 20 years ago: a small time thug/coke dealer in the Bronx. BRONX PARADISE brings us into the world of drug dealing on the mean streets. Frankly, short of a Turkish prison, it's difficult to imagine a harder place to do business: fighting off the muscle, competition, and general slime. Wayne evolves into his environment and gets through his day the only way he knows how, by using his wits and being the baddest bully on the block. Obviously, there is a lot more to Wayne or this wouldn't be much of a movie.
Gurman, the star and writer of BRONX PARADISE (directed by William Lappe), made a real-life fairytale transition. He dodged certain death (or certainly Death Row) by escaping his life as a coke dealer. He left the 'hood to become a Californian actor. You might have seen him on TV's LAW & ORDER or RESCUE ME. Spending 15 years as a criminal has not left him lacking depth for such roles. Consider this fair warning. BRONX PARADISE will not be embraced by the usual Corvallis movie-going public. It spins with racism--tempered by having a black wife and kids, misogyny untempered by anything, violence to the point of ridiculousness (and, okay, maybe humor), and cruelty unimagined outside of a war zone or a tabloid news rag. Though many viewers may not seek out this type of film, BRONX PARADISE could be worth the ride for those who do. Sometimes a film shouldn't be easy. Sometimes a film needs to get up in the face of those who have been sucked in by the Hollywood version of The Coke Dealer. (There is a great scene where Wayne explains to a friend, with startling compassion, why he should avoid a career selling drugs.) BRONX PARADISE will get the testosterone boiling. In the men, too. It will make you want to take his buddy John (played with riveting "Sweet Jesus! This guy is nucking futs!" realism by John Palumbo) out of the gene pool in the most painful way possible. We see a landscape so devoid of political correctness, it starts to become comical. You will wonder how any scene in BRONX PARADISE could get any grittier, then it will proceed to do so.
There are moments in this film that are, in fact, some of the funniest moments I've seen on the screen this year. When Wayne gives out the awards for the worst behavior in a movie theater, I was in tears. This is a close second to the press conference around why he has a small penis. The fact that these bits flow with the story speaks well of the editing.
There is not a missed note in the acting or cinematography. Each character is brought frighteningly well to life by people who are outstanding actors--or, who were not acting. Film making is hard damn work. A successful film will not show too much of the sweat behind the curtain. BRONX PARADISE uses no clichéd camerawork; you stay riveted on the story, without being distracted by how it was brought to you. There are scenes that run a little long and I think a few more "darlings" could have been "killed off." This may be sacrilege, but I would like to see a "cleaned up" version of this film for the masses. There are so many things to show off in BRONX PARADISE--from the story, to the acting, to the production value--that will never be seen, because the film is too much for a lot of people. Then again, sometimes I underestimate what people can handle. After a 400 mile day on the Harley, when I pull up in front of the Darkside with my 'tude on, little old ladies come up to me and ask about the latest French film. Sometimes objects may be less scary than they seem.
The reality is, Wayne survived his 15 years dealing drugs and violence to the weak, and then walked away. One doesn't get to walk away from that life without there being a change--or a change waiting to happen. This what raises the film above the Let's-See-How-Many-People-We-Can-Piss-Off genre. You will not see it coming. This is the mark of a well written script.
There might be a tendency to wonder if this film is a glorification of the ugly life Wayne led, or whether it manifests some sort of redemption. Maybe the redemption is in showing how truly unredeeming a life it is selling drugs--or is this movie just another way of splattering the screen with Gurman's brand of extreme macho? Here's the deal. Leave morality out of it and judge the film on its own merits. The motivations of the writer/actor are only noise. The movie industry is not a monument to purity in motivations and morality of character. Do a little reading about how Judy Garland was treated during the making of THE WIZARD OF OZ.
BRONX PARADISE is not for everyone. It's not supposed to be. But, that's why there are film festivals and theaters like the Darkside Cinema. Handle with care. Don't try this at home. Keep arms and legs inside the vehicle, and eat all your vegetables. When you get tired of watching movies that stick to the rules, there will be BRONX PARADISE.
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