Review by James Lindorf
Alessio Jim Della Valle is an Italian director and writer best known for his short films and documentaries. Now he is taking his shot at making a Tarantinoesque Neo-Noir with “American night.” The sudden appearance and disappearance of a prized Andy Warhol painting will set members of the art community and the criminal underworld on a collision course. A wide range of characters including John (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), a forger turned art dealer, Michael Rubino (Emile Hirsch), a self-conscious painter and mobster, Sarah (Paz Vega), a museum conservator, mob muscle Samuel (Michael Madsen), and Vincent (Jeremy Piven) a stuntman and wannabe ninja spill a lot of blood in pursuit of the painting. “American Night” is now playing in a select group of theaters and available On Demand.
On its surface, “American Night” is everything you could ask for in a crime thriller. A mix of names you know and talented character actors coming together to let loose and see who can steal the most scenes. Valle created a lead villain who would be at home in a James Bond movie with his penchant for scorpions. The trusty good guy is out to make a new life for himself while everyone keeps trying to suck him back into his life of crime. Director Valle and cinematographers Ben Nott and Andrzej Sekula gave the film a stylish look with a gritty background and pops of color. Valle looked at so many beloved films and tried to bring it all into “American Night.” The Keyword there is tried.
“American Night” is a movie I wanted to love. It is in a genre I enjoy with an intriguing concept and a cast of people I have enjoyed in dozens of projects over the last 30+ years. Unfortunately, all of the characters are defined by their quirks. They offer nothing beyond that one key element of their personality. The movie also suffers from not having a straight person character to provide a rational point of view for the audience to experience these over-the-top scenarios and people. There is a complete emotional disconnect watching these people move through the story. The most notable characters are the unlucky and uncoordinated courier (Fortunato Cerlino) and the Bruce Lee obsessed stuntman Vincent. Unfortunately, their main task is to set things into motion and lead to the inevitable conflict between John and Michael. Every minute they are gone, you are waiting for them to come back. The only distraction is the prolonged emotionless, but visually attractive body paint sex scene between Myers and Vega.
The worst example of trying too hard is found in Valle’s dialogue and its presentation. Hirsch’s whinny kitschy villain retells the old scorpion and frog story fable, first made famous by Orson Welles in “Mr. Arkadin.” While that speech alone earned the film glowing reviews, the one presented in “American Night” is as dull as that one was brilliant. It should be an emotional moment about Hirsch succumbing to his nature despite his desires to be more. Instead, it comes across as a story he memorized because it has a scorpion in it. Then there is the bar scene, where most of the characters convene. It is done well enough, but once a shootout erupts, time rewinds, and we are treated to that scenario from the beginning with a new perspective. Not once but twice. Each time the scene is less exciting and the dialogue more clunky.
“American Night” and its absurd nature will find its fans. Still, it is doubtful to turn a profit for anyone involved. Director Alessio Della Valle should focus less on reproducing the work of people he admires and go with what feels right. Less focus on other people’s style would have allowed him to imbue the script with the passion true art requires. The limited successes of “American Night” earn it a 1 out of 5.
Genre: Thriller, Action
Rating: R for violence, language and nudity
Directed by: Alessio Della Valle
Written by: Alessio Della Valle
Starring: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emile Hirsch, Jeremy Piven, Paz Vega, Michael Madsen
Run Time: 123 minutes
