Post by The Narrator Returns on Jun 16, 2013 15:04:31 GMT -6
1995’s The Underneath was a creative dead end for Soderbergh. His previous two films, Kafka and King of the Hill, certainly had their share of difficulties as well. Soderbergh fought with Kafka screenwriter Lem Dobbs over what made it on screen (similar to what would happen with their second collaboration, The Limey), and he had to rush King of the Hill into a final cut by making many cuts. But he became completely disillusioned with filmmaking after making Underneath, and he had to relocate to Baton Rouge and make Schizopolis to get his batteries charged again. Given that this film almost caused Soderbergh to quit filmmaking, I wasn’t expecting very much from it. But much to my surprise, I enjoyed it quite a lot.
Michael (Peter Gallagher) is an ex-gambler returning to his hometown to attend his mother’s wedding (she’s marrying Joe Don Baker, so it’s clear her standards are quite low). He left because of massive gambling debts, and he had to leave his wife as well. Before too long, he meets up with his ex-wife Rachel (Alison Elliott), who has hooked up with the local scumbag Tommy Dundee (William Fichtner). Michael’s mom has gotten him a job as an armored car driver, and when Tommy catches Michael and Rachel in the act, he gives Michael an offer to pull off a robbery. In true noir fashion (fitting, since the story was previously filmed as the 1948 noir Criss Cross), nothing goes according to plan.
I haven’t seen Criss Cross, so I can’t compare how they handle the material, but I found the material to be quite interesting under Soderbergh’s direction. This film marks the beginning of Soderbergh’s use of color coding. The flashback scenes (and Michael and Rachel sleeping together) are all shot in a cool blue tint. And many scenes use green tinting, including scenes of Michael driving the armored car. Soderbergh also jumbles up the timeline, mixing flashbacks and the present, to establish the motives of Michael as well as the reason for his divorce. It points in the interesting directions Soderbergh would take over the course of his career. He may have disowned it, but The Underneath is an important document of his future path.
Grade: B+
Lester Scale: Worthwhile divertissement
The Soderbergh Players: Peter Gallagher previously played John, Andie MacDowell’s husband and Laura San Giacomo’s lover in sex, lies, and videotape. Joe Chrest turned in his most memorable appearance in a Soderbergh film as Mr. Rodman, a visitor for Michael when he goes to the hospital. David Jensen got to install Michael’s large new satellite dish, and I instantly recognized Mike Malone (T. Azimuth Schwitters) as the man standing next to Rachel in the club the film returns to quite often. And the doorman of that club is none other than director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight). Linklater would later repay Soderbergh the favor by giving him a role in Waking Life.
Soderbergh did not edit the film, after his unpleasant experiences cutting King of the Hill, but he did write it, under the pseudonym Sam Lowry, after Jonathan Pryce’s lead bureaucrat in Terry Gilliam’s Brazil. Elliot Davis photographed his second film for Soderbergh, while Cliff Martinez scored his fourth Soderbergh film.
Michael (Peter Gallagher) is an ex-gambler returning to his hometown to attend his mother’s wedding (she’s marrying Joe Don Baker, so it’s clear her standards are quite low). He left because of massive gambling debts, and he had to leave his wife as well. Before too long, he meets up with his ex-wife Rachel (Alison Elliott), who has hooked up with the local scumbag Tommy Dundee (William Fichtner). Michael’s mom has gotten him a job as an armored car driver, and when Tommy catches Michael and Rachel in the act, he gives Michael an offer to pull off a robbery. In true noir fashion (fitting, since the story was previously filmed as the 1948 noir Criss Cross), nothing goes according to plan.
I haven’t seen Criss Cross, so I can’t compare how they handle the material, but I found the material to be quite interesting under Soderbergh’s direction. This film marks the beginning of Soderbergh’s use of color coding. The flashback scenes (and Michael and Rachel sleeping together) are all shot in a cool blue tint. And many scenes use green tinting, including scenes of Michael driving the armored car. Soderbergh also jumbles up the timeline, mixing flashbacks and the present, to establish the motives of Michael as well as the reason for his divorce. It points in the interesting directions Soderbergh would take over the course of his career. He may have disowned it, but The Underneath is an important document of his future path.
Grade: B+
Lester Scale: Worthwhile divertissement
The Soderbergh Players: Peter Gallagher previously played John, Andie MacDowell’s husband and Laura San Giacomo’s lover in sex, lies, and videotape. Joe Chrest turned in his most memorable appearance in a Soderbergh film as Mr. Rodman, a visitor for Michael when he goes to the hospital. David Jensen got to install Michael’s large new satellite dish, and I instantly recognized Mike Malone (T. Azimuth Schwitters) as the man standing next to Rachel in the club the film returns to quite often. And the doorman of that club is none other than director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight). Linklater would later repay Soderbergh the favor by giving him a role in Waking Life.
Soderbergh did not edit the film, after his unpleasant experiences cutting King of the Hill, but he did write it, under the pseudonym Sam Lowry, after Jonathan Pryce’s lead bureaucrat in Terry Gilliam’s Brazil. Elliot Davis photographed his second film for Soderbergh, while Cliff Martinez scored his fourth Soderbergh film.