 |
|||
 |
 |
||
 | |||
 | |||||||||||
|
|
Written by Richard Murphy; directed by Allan Mindel; starring Troy Garity. Currently available on DVD It’s a very small thing, but I derive a lot of pleasure from driving in hot weather with my windows open and the air conditioning on. There is something about the gentle coupling of the hot and cold streams of air breezing over my face and torso that I find delightful. I have a similarly positive reaction to watching movies in the summer heat that are set in the dead of winter; 90-degree days in July are, apparently, the best time for me to experience winter. Director Allan Mindel’s debut feature, Milwaukee, Minnesota is a film that effectively, uniquely and entertainingly combines the slow pace of August with the harsh environs of January. The result is a strangely enjoyable film that works more because it is true to itself than because of anything else it is trying to do. Troy Garity stars in Milwaukee, Minnesota as Albert Burroughs, a high functioning, developmentally disabled thirty-something who lives at home with his domineering mother (Debra Monk). Though he has few friends, Burroughs leads a comfortable life; he works at the local copy store and has won a very significant amount of money competing in ice-fishing tournaments. When his mother is killed, the ne’er-do-wells start coming out of the woodwork to separate Burroughs from his money. There are a multitude of factors that can draw a viewer into a movie: crisp dialogue, an interesting plot, lovable characters or stunning acting performances. While Milwaukee, Minnesota’s dialogue, plot and characters are all solid, none of them are particularly exceptional. What propels this project to its above average standing are the little things that Mindel has instilled in the film. Set in the darkest, coldest part of winter and shot with a gloomy color pallet that is only broken by Burroughs blindingly orange coveralls–which provide an extraordinary contrast against the white snow and mahogany interiors–I was fascinated by the soothing and comfortable artistry of the production scheme. The hotels in which the characters stay are the kind of cheap and gloriously decrepit hotel rooms that only exist in film noirs and Jim Thompson novels. The diners where the characters eat were all designed in the 50’s and are staffed with helpful waitresses in mustard yellow dresses named Melba or Mary Lou. These are the new Pleasantville’s; places that seem like they should exist, but don’t. Presented in this way, Mindel took me out of my own surroundings and radiantly shone his glossy spotlight onto the lives of these small town individuals. Mindel’s camera is never intrusive or biased, it simply presents the world of Milwaukee, Minnesota as it happens. The result is a film with style, wit and enthusiasm that never goes over-the-top in its examination of small town America. This was delightful. Chris Neumer
Chris Neumer yes, it's true: Yes it’s true: There are three cities named Milwaukee that are located in the United States. None are in Minnesota. |
| |||||
