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"Hey, Quit
Complaining. I'm Only
Making $100 A Day, Too!" |
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Directed by Michael
Hoffman - Written by Don
DeLillo
Starring Michael Keaton,
Robert Downey, Jr., Bebe
Neuwirth, Ari Graynor
Distributed by Kindred -
2006 - 87mins - Rated R |
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Richard Propes'
Review
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B- |
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Where were YOU on that night? |
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A strong cast doesn't
quite overcome the inherent challenges contained within the awkward,
self-aware script for "Game 6" penned by award-winning
writer/playwright Don DeLillo.
"Game 6" takes place on October 25, 1986, the day of Game 6 of the
1986 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets. With
the Red Sox up 3 games to 2 with a chance to end 70 years of futility,
playwright Nicky Rogan (Michael Keaton) is also facing his own demons
as his latest, most personal play is preparing to open only to be
reviewed by a theatre critic, Stephen Schwimmer (Robert Downey, Jr.),
who is so hated he must wear costumes to shows and carries a gun for
protection.
DeLillo's script attempts, only mildly successfully, to equate the
losing nature of the Red Sox with that of Rogan. In addition to his
anxieties over the World Series and opening night, Rogan must deal
with a detached daughter (Ari Graynor), a wife with a prominent
divorce lawyer (Catherine O'Hara), an investor who is also his lover (Bebe
Neuwirth) and a fellow playwright whose career was ruined by the
aforementioned theatre critic (Griffin Dunne).
Into this menagerie of melancholy are weaved repeated scenes with a
variety of taxicab drivers, an actor (Harris Yulin) who can't remember
his lines due to a brain parasite, and scene after scene of an
advertisement featuring, again, the aforementioned theatre critic.
The concept of "Game 6" is an interesting one, yet DeLillo is only
mildly successful in translating his usual stage writing to a big
screen. The imagery often feels forced, long pauses are awkward, and
the excessive use of a radio DJ as narrator feels like a worn out
stage device. Add into this mix the overwrought stylings of director
Michael Hoffman ("Emperor's Club" and "Restoration"), and even this
strong cast can't overcome the many obstacles placed before them.
The end result is particularly sad in that this is a marvelous
performance from Michael Keaton, and in supporting roles Downey, Jr.,
Neuwirth and Graynor are particularly noteworthy. Keaton has always
been noteworthy as one of cinema's more intelligent actors, and as a
playwright with a loser's mentality one gets the sense he's accessing
both the intellectual and emotional remnants of a career that once
appeared on the verge of explosion yet now rests comfortably on the
indie side of cinema.
Keaton masters convincingly DeLillo's words, even when such words make
little or no sense. One gets the feeling that Keaton can read between
the lines of DeLillo's dialogue, and he finds a place inside Nicky
Rogan that isn't readily accessible.
Downey, Jr., who also worked with Hoffman on the more successful
"Restoration," is relaxed and poignant as a critic whose rich
authenticity has nearly cost him his sanity. Griffin Dunne, in a
relatively minor role, offers his best work in recent years in a
performance worthy of his own film as a playwright literally destroyed
from the inside out by one savage review.
Of course, Red Sox fans are quite aware of how Game 6 ended and, dare
I say, the end of the movie "Game 6" is equally as predictable. It
works, ever so slightly, because of the chemistry and conviction of
Keaton, Graynor and Downey, Jr.
"Game 6" was shot on a production budget of well under $1 million and
Keaton, Downey, Jr., and Neuwirth all reportedly worked for $100 a day
on the film. Kudos must go to all three award-winning performers for
not phoning in their performances in "Game 6," but instead offering
strong, convincing performances.
DeLillo, despite the flaws in his first screenplay, shows remarkable
promise in writing for the big screen. While "Game 6" is a tad
disappointing, it is worth viewing for its lead performances and the
thrill of seeing a low-budget independent film that is bold, if not
always beautiful.
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© Written by Richard Propes -
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