The other day I was channel surfing and came upon Neil Labute's terrific "In The Company Of Men", I hadn't seen it in years and, after sitting through the bulk of it again, I wondered out loud "Why can't they make smart films like this anymore?" When I saw the same channel was running Labute's latest film "Out Of The Blue" I figured, "Why not?" It's a kind of neo-noir starring Jack Nicholson's son Roy( Chinatown prequel anyone?) and Diane Kruger that features some curious titles "Some Time Later" "A Little Later Than That"- that lead me to believe that in a last ditch effort to avoid serious scrutiny Labute kind of mocks the genre hoping you "get" the joke. It doesn't work, which isn't surprising since almost nothing works here.
Among the things that don't work, the chief offender is the femme fatale at the center of the drama. In the best romantic noir's there is, at the core, the "Baby, I don't care" rule (instituted from "Out Of The Past"- if you don't know the film- stop reading and find it) which, in short, means that the draw to the flame is so strong that our protagonist has lost his sense of reason. The best romantic noir films "Postman Always Rings Twice 1946"and especially "Body Heat" feature this element. As I said to my wife- "I'd go to jail for Lana Turner, to hell for Kathleen Turner, but Diane Kruger? I wouldn't go to the store..." The lack of a "to die for" femme fatale is a body blow to a noir but it is not always fatal. Smart dialogue and a clever plot can still make a compelling film ( contrary to popular opinion I see "Double Indemnity" in this category).
Labute, however, has not graced us with either here. The dialogue is a disappointment and the plot is a rehash of Body Heat /Bound. Disturbingly, the film looks cheap, and in an era when so many cheap films look fantastic. Virtually the only thing that really works, as many have noted, is Hank Azaria's character. Sad to report.
Among the things that don't work, the chief offender is the femme fatale at the center of the drama. In the best romantic noir's there is, at the core, the "Baby, I don't care" rule (instituted from "Out Of The Past"- if you don't know the film- stop reading and find it) which, in short, means that the draw to the flame is so strong that our protagonist has lost his sense of reason. The best romantic noir films "Postman Always Rings Twice 1946"and especially "Body Heat" feature this element. As I said to my wife- "I'd go to jail for Lana Turner, to hell for Kathleen Turner, but Diane Kruger? I wouldn't go to the store..." The lack of a "to die for" femme fatale is a body blow to a noir but it is not always fatal. Smart dialogue and a clever plot can still make a compelling film ( contrary to popular opinion I see "Double Indemnity" in this category).
Labute, however, has not graced us with either here. The dialogue is a disappointment and the plot is a rehash of Body Heat /Bound. Disturbingly, the film looks cheap, and in an era when so many cheap films look fantastic. Virtually the only thing that really works, as many have noted, is Hank Azaria's character. Sad to report.