Silver City (2004)

Sick Product of a Sick System

Memorable, crazy movie

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

If you like your movies to be tightly paced and plotted or if you prefer that your political satire be subtle, then "Silver City" is not the movie for you. The film is an attack on Bush era politics. To a lesser extent, it also addresses the the culpability of the press and the cultivated dis-interest of the voters that allows the vested interests to so thoroughly corrupt the political arena. There is also a lackadaisical love story and a less than urgent murder mystery. If this sounds a little meandering, it is.Bearing all that in mind, I quite liked this film. A film can take its time if the action is enjoyable. Satire need not be subtle to be accurate or pointed. As stuffed as the movie is with ideas and plots, it is also full of wonderful actors and the dialogue is natural and thoroughly enjoyable."Silver City" may not be the best work of Writer/Director John Sayles' career, but it is very representative of his style. He creates a world populated by striking and believable characters who make an impression even when they have small scenes. He knows how to get the best out of his actors; everyone in this film turns in a wonderful performance. All in all, I say that this films many charms vastly outweigh its flaws.

I don't really consider myself a conservative, so I wasn't personally offended by this film, but it was pretty clear that the plot and the characterization in this film were secondary to the message. And the message is that all conservatives are either evil or stupid (or both). The characters are one-dimensional -- either good, freedom-loving Americans, or brainless, greedy, evil conservatives. There's nothing clever or creative, just anti-conservative. I don't really mind the political bias itself, but it shouldn't be the only purpose behind the movie. And clearly it is.On the positive side, the cast is wonderful and Chris Cooper's impression of W is funny the first two or three times, but after that it's just the same old joke being told over and over again.So if you really hate the conservatives, you'll probably enjoy this film, but if you're looking for something with realistic characters and a story that's less black-and-white, then you'd be better off watching something else.

There was some great work by minor characters in the film. The actors playing Mexicans were very convincing and real. One had sympathy for the right-wing radio show host (Miguel Ferrer) being bullied by the bigwigs in the party for being a bit of an outcast. Kris Kristopherson gave a great performance of a cowboy-millionaire, who fancied himself as a man who made things happen (and could convince almost anyone that he was really justified in being the amoral individual he was). There was also a sincere performance by a miner, who became a manager and ended up paying bitterly for being the "yes man" to the mine owner - a large, amoral corporation with a powerful lock on the life of the entire state of Colorado. The problem was that, of the major characters, only Chris Cooper shines. He is obviously portraying Bush, and does an excellent job of portraying a naive man, struggling to express basic thoughts, and being adored and utilized by everyone who holds onto his cape in expectation of great fortunes out of his becoming governor. The main character, the private investigator, I never bonded with. He never really engaged me. I didn't really understand his appeal or where he was coming from. Darryl Hannah's role was incredulous. Is a beautiful woman like here in the 2000's just sitting around hoping for the next man in town to arrive? I don't think so. Tim Roth's performance was very blasé. The biggest disappointment was Richard Dreyfus' performance. His characterization was so one-dimensional and stereotypical that you couldn't really feel convinced by it. There were great moments of beauty in the film. I particularly liked when the town developer said in glee that he 'is going to build a city'. It shows exactly how and why people become so greedy and zealous about development and progress. They see themselves in the history books. The ending was sad. The fish floating in the water showed the fragility of life amidst the beauty of Colorado. However, even that message was severally weakened by the whole rest of the movie that led up to this scene. The movie disappointed me, because I was only moved at moments. The rest of the movie seemed rather pointless and wandering. This is a flaw that John Sayles is usually not guilty of. As bizarre and unique as the stories that Sayles comes up with, his plots are always cohesive and logical. Silver City is an exception to this.

Honestly, one of the worst written, directed and acted movies I have ever seen. Seemed like a made-for-TV movie. And a bad one at that. I cannot believe that people are still hiring Danny Huston after seeing him in this movie, or that they are still allowing John Sayles to make films. My husband and I came across this movie on TV one night and got so bored with it, we ended up cleaning the house while it was on . . . and it still bored us! It made me think that critics have been so gullible with Sayles' previous films, such as Lone Star, which was raved about at he time but didn't really add up to much in the end. Spend your time on something better. Anything.