Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 18, 1995 TAG: 9511200092
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KATHERINE REED STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Well, apparently everyone had so much darn fun, Wang and writer Paul Auster pitched an idea to their producers: to keep some of the cast and crew together and whip up another movie, this time almost totally improvised.
Kinda like, ``Hey, kids, let's make a movie!'' - but with some major talent and a little money at their disposal.
The result is ``Blue in the Face,'' a very light broth of quirky insight, goofy cameo appearances and documentary-style interviews about Wang's beloved Brooklyn.
Even if you're not from New York, even if you've never been near Brooklyn, it's hard not to like this movie.
First, there's the sheer pleasure of hanging out with Auggie (Harvey Keitel) at the Brooklyn Cigar Co. for another hour and a half. Some of the old gang is still there, including Giancarlo Esposito, Jose Guniga and Stephen Gevedon.
Then there are the kooky walk-throughs: Roseanne as the store owner's frustrated wife; Mel Gorham as Auggie's moody Hispanic girlfriend; Lily Tomlin as a man just looking for a good Belgian waffle; and Michael J. Fox as an overeducated amateur researcher and street philosopher. Interspersed throughout are snippets of an interview with Lou Reed, who is apparently constitutionally incapable of being boring. Ever.
Not to mention an unbilled appearance by (not telling, not telling) as a singing telegram girl.
The improvisations are the weakest part of the movie, with the exception of Gorham's psyche-up session in front of her mirror. But Wang and Auster wisely break these up with documentary pieces on everything from the Brooklyn Dodgers to the number of potholes in the borough.
With appropriately multicultural music selected by David Byrne of Talking Heads (wish the soundtrack were available) and lots of street scenes, ``Blue in the Face'' really brings Brooklyn alive. You can practically smell this movie - a mingling of ethnic food, diesel fumes and, of course, the smoke of a cheap cigar.
It's a labor of love, obviously, which makes it fun to watch. No matter where you're from.
Blue in the Face
***
A Miramax release showing at The Grandin Theatre. Rated R for constant cussing and some nudity. 89 mins.
by CNB