Trees Lounge (1996)
Review by HTQ4
Film:
DVD:

My Advice: Definitely rent it, but be ready to buy it if they release a better version

Tommy (Buscemi) has had a pretty rough go of it. He lost his job as an auto mechanic because he took some money from the register. His boss, Rob (LaPaglia), also happened to steal his girlfriend from him and get her pregnant. Tommy is also a regular at the Trees Lounge and he seems to be spending more and more of his time there lately. The more he tries to get his life back in order, the more things seem to get worse for him. He has no luck with the ladies he always meets at the Lounge is turning more and more to alcohol and cocaine to solve his problems.

What an excellent character study. Buscemi has written some amazingly strong characters and even though none of them are really sympathetic, the story is so intriguing that it keeps you hooked right until the very end. Don't get me wrong, this is not a very happy movie. All of the characters are buried so deep in their sorrows that they can't see the sky, but they are so well written and acted, that you actually care about what happens to each of them.

From an acting point of view, with such an interesting and eclectic cast, you'd expect good performances--and you get them. Nobody's really stretching their prowess to handle the parts they're given, but I think that's part of what makes the film work. One thing is noticable, though: Jackson plays a character who's down on his luck and isn't wearing goofy glasses. Praise be to Buscemi for daring to break this particular mold. And Buscemi is definitely the shining star of this film. This material is definitely close to him (which is a little scary if you stop and think about it).

The DVD, though, is a real disappointment. There are absolutely no special features on this disc whatsoever. It's not even in widescreen format. The movie is good enough to engender a ton of bonus material. I was hoping for an interview segment with most of the cast, or at the very least a commentary track from Buscemi, but we get nothing. It's this alone that keeps this one off the purchase list.

So, rent this one if you see it sitting on the shelf somewhere. You will also want to pick this one up if they ever put out a special edition version.