By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.75 cats
Director: Steve Buscemi
Starring: Casey Affleck | Jack Rovello | Kevin Corrigan | Liv Tyler | Mary Kay Place | Seymour Cassel
Country: united_states
Year: 2006
Running time: 91
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385056/
Michael says: “I was very pleasantly surprised by Steve Buscemi’s tiny film about the shattered dreams and paralyzing ennui of a Midwestern family. Jim left his small-town Indiana home, including Mom, Dad and brother Tim, for NYC and thought he would never return. So what suddenly brings him to his delighted mother’s doorstep, exhausted, nearly mute and dehydrated to the point of collapsing on the kitchen floor? The answer is more mundane than you might first think, as Jim finds himself back home, and rapidly sucked into a series of family obligations. Mom is preternaturally cheerful; Dad is sarcastic and slightly oblivious, and brother Tim is trapped in the same malaise as Jim, only with two daughters and no wife. Despite his best efforts, Jim finds himself coaching his niece’s basketball team, working at the family factory, working at the family factory, and getting high with the local drug dealer (who also happens to be his uncle). It’s not all drudgery for Jim however, as he befriends a young, attractive nurse and single mother who takes a liking to him.
“While Jim is a fairly off-putting character in some ways, James C. Strouse writes a deceptively sweet story aided by some strong performances and a light director’s touch. Casey Affleck, reminiscent of a younger Mark Ruffalo, inhabits Jim’s loneliness and depression convincingly, taking it beyond a one-note surliness into something more true. Mary Kay Place brings subtlety and depth to the stock ‘Mom’ character that is heartbreaking. The few times she lets the mask slip are so slight and deft that you might miss it. Seymour Cassel adds some humor as Jim’s sardonic father, and it’s always nice to see Kevin Corrigan, this time in a character that’s even more pathetic than his younger brother. Liv Tyler handles Jim’s girlfriend Anika nicely as well. It all wraps up nicely and happily, and it’s all so darn sweet; how can you help but enjoy it? 4 cats.”
Bruce says: “LONESOME JIM is a little film that is very satisfying because director Steve Buscemi manages to keep the film tightly trimmed to fit the story he is telling. And a simple story it is. Jim (Casey Affleck) returns to his parents’ home for some down time. He doesn’t seem to have any plans. He certainly doesn’t receive a warm welcome from his brother Tim (Kevin Corrigan) or his father (Seymour Cassel), and his somewhat distracted mother (Mary Kay Place) goes through the motions of being a doting mother but her sincerity is questionable. Jim meets Anika (Lily Taylor) at a bar and begins seeing her regularly. Anika has baggage, live baggage in the form of her son Ben (Jack Rovello). Jim is now reluctant to leave town, so his father demands that he work for his keep at the family business. Soon he is working side by side with his drug dealing Uncle Evil (Mark Boone Junior). Jim through a series of dramatic jolts finally hits his stride; then, just as quickly as things came together they begin to fall apart.
“Casey Affleck is one of today’s most underrated actors. He tends to underplay his roles but he knows how to emote and his emotional field is surprisingly wide. It is great to see Seymour Cassel again. I first saw him in John Cassavetes FACES in 1968 and must admit I am surprised Cassel is still alive. Mary Kay Place, a former favorite actress of mine, is wearing more than a bit thin these days. I’m sure one could easily find ten lines from ten of her films that are delivered with the exact same inflection in the exact tone of voice. The ubiquitous Lily Taylor, however, manages to stay fresh no matter what role she tackles. 3.5 cats”