Review of Trouble in Mind

Life in the dangerous urban cesspool of Rain City: Tough and crusty ex-cop Hawk (an excellent and engaging performance by Kris Kristofferson) gets out of jail after serving time for murder, eager young father Coop (a fine portrayal by Keith Carradine, who sports a wild punk hairdo) neglects his sweet innocent wife Georgia (luminously played with considerable doe-eyed charm by the gorgeous Lori Singer) and falls in with a bad crowd, and ruthless mobster Hilly Blue (deliciously essayed with slimy gusto by Divine, who comes across like an effeminate Sydney Greenstreet) runs the local crime syndicate. Writer/director Alan Rudolph expertly crafts a beautifully bizarre, garish, and stylized reto 40's film noir alternate universe that's punctuated with witty dialogue, populated by colorful oddball characters, and further enlivened by nice moments of inspired quirky humor. Moreover, Rudolph offers a truly singular cinematic meditation on morals, corruption, thwarted desires, and possible redemption. The tip-top cast helps a whole lot, with especially praiseworthy work from Genevieve Bujold as wise and weary diner owner Wanda, Joe Morton as philosophical hoodlum Solo, George Kirby as the hard-nosed Lieutenant Gunther, John Considine as sleazy creep pedophile Nate Nathanson, and Dirk Blocker as brutish thug Rambo. Mark Isham's jazzy score and a couple of songs sung by Marianne Faithful greatly enhance the eccentric brooding atmosphere. Toyomichi Kurita's striking cinematography gives the picture a great gaudy'n'smoky look. Hovering precariously between affectionate homage and campy send-up, this exquisitely idiosyncratic treat qualifies as recommended viewing for fans of outré celluloid fare that doesn't fit into a simple easy category.