elshikh4
This is a tale of a jobless deceitful Tommy Basilio who never took anything seriously in his life, including himself. Therefore he lost his love and present, lost having a dream or a tomorrow. At one moment he says "Everybody is lost. But nobody says that about himself !" That guy lives above a bar, (and in it !). After 8 years of affair, his girl goes to his boss; who deserves her more, since he achieves himself, and planed his tomorrow. Now we follow the features of that 40 year old teen's aberration; a caprice with a teen girl that equals his adolescence, being too cowered to admit that he's a loser, his torn connections with everybody, his incapacity to have any kind of balanced human relationship.. So that's why he begged a touch of hand from the girl who danced with him (who drunkenly slept before requesting any physical love from her side).The movie managed to embody the statues of some people from that loser town as well; the dancing woman is unhappily married, the company's owner – who goes constantly to the bar – is irresponsible towards his wife and kids,.. etc. As you see, everybody is a drunken adolescent who has no hope for getting out of their stalemate or that town, along with those rotten invariable values; such as negativism, laziness and separation, that they imprisoned themselves in.The funniest thing is the lead's transforming at the end to a twin for the old drunken man who used to sit in the bar for all the time like a corpse. It insinuated that he'll meet the same fate; turning into a lonely aged, no talker no listener, frozen sot who "Will wake up someday, not breathing !" There are some clever scenes. 2 of them are unforgettable. The first is when the lead's ex-lover was re-watching his old home video. Look how the movie's camera goes beyond the TV's screen, to live the good memories. Maybe because the frivolous past of a character like Tommy is his present and future. Or maybe because these memories have some hot feelings that still alive inside that tape, and that lover who deplores Tommy as lost or determined on being lost.The second scene is when the lead sees his ex-love after giving birth to a baby. He understood there that he can't push the time back to win what he resolved to lose. And that the baby isn't his son; whether due to how he can't give life, even for himself !, or due to the fact that that baby would never have a life under his dead tree. This is surely the best climax for this movie. So when you read the tagline : "a story about one man's search... for who knows what.", you'll easily understand that his search is for an escape, away from his irresponsible self, or admitting it.I knew (Steve Buscemi) first as an extra in (Pulp Fiction), then as an always scary psychopath killer in movies like (Con Air) and (Some Things to Do in Denver When You Are Dead). To an extent that in 1999, when Empire magazine published a reportage about the best 100 movies in history, the icon that they used to define the degree of bloodiness in every movie was a face so similar to his! So imagine my surprise to witness how he can act, write, and direct something distinct, serene, and not bloody such as this.I just hated the poster's line "Black Comedy". Clearly the term "Drama" is unprofitable or unpopular in America of the last decades ! There was no need for such a lie or for hiring big name like (Samuel L. Jackson) to do a useless cameo either. But these were some ways to market the movie in a market that mostly doesn't welcome anything except the holy : action and comedy flicks ! As a direction it's astonishingly simple and sensitively done. (Buscemi) did it without one second of allegation or exhausting technique. And as a script; it's subtle, bitter and enjoyable study for the anti-hero. In other words, sometimes a short novel bewitches me. Here's one of them.
DandolaDan
After looking forward to seeing this movie directed ,written by and starring one of my favourite actors Steve Buscemi and with a big name cast I was left disappointed . This film tried to be funny and failed miserably at every turn and the story really dragged on at 95 minutes although it felt longer . The characters I couldn't relate to and the relationships between all characters weren't believable . Buscemi has tried to portray himself as the lovable loser and we are meant to laugh at his shortcomings , however I must concede Buscemi is the best character in the film the rest I found irritating .Of course this is merely an opinion and Buscemi fans should give it a watch anyway I just personally never enjoyed it at all .
sp_key
Some guy loses his girlfriend, his job and now drinks all day in a boring bar. He then inherits an ice cream van from his deceased uncle and drives around the streets half-bored selling sweets.This is a perfect example that illustrates good actors don't necessarily make good films! The characters are weak, the story told a thousand times before and the complete luck of active plot makes the film suitable only for TV on a Sunday afternoon. Buscemi fails to push the actors to their limits resulting in a 'soap opera' style performance which is well below the average. Most of the scenes were pointless and contributed nothing to the film.Trees Lounge could have started straight after Tommy inherited the Van (thirty minutes before the end) and still wouldn't make any difference! If you do end up watching the film just imagine how the film would be like if Tarantino directed it.Better watch TV commercials :(
SusanAdebisi
Just happened upon this channel hopping In the early hours saw Steve Buscemi and wondered what's going on here? Not a lot as It seemed but that's not the point. Just sit back - preferably with a lager and allow Tree's Lounge to charm your trousers off.Wonderfully subdued comedy showing that Buscemi Is not only a cult anti hero on screen but that he has much promise as a director. The characters stand out as they can be related to - everyone will recognise the Bill type regular permanently attached to the counter. Mark Boone's wife also as a seriously difficult woman who hasn't a clue what she really wants, stereotypically so. Tommy yes, Is a manchild aimlessly squandering his life away, for sure It Isn't a good role model to aspire to approaching middle age but hey that's his perogative.This Is Steve's film and he's got charisma by the barrow full to make Tree's Lounge a real treat. That trick with the glasses will work once - provided your not too hammered practising. But It's Uncle Al who gets the best lines - "he loves your mothers", his excuse for his lecherous behaviour on the couch will bail a lot of people out of a lot of trouble.This film Is very hard to track down, 90% of video shops I went to hadn't even heard of It and It's been on terrestrial Tele twice - once a week late- the reward Is well worth the effort.
