1992 - PASSION FISH.very good character study but overlong

A soap opera actress who has become a paraplegic after a car accident returns to her childhood home in Louisiana for therapy.  Angry about her situation she slowly bonds with her caregiver who is confronting some personal issues of her own.  Passion Fish is a good drama that avoids a lot of feel good sentimentality.  This situation is interesting enough thanks to Sayles skilled writing and doesn't need any Hollywood type "goosing up" with it's story.

The actors Mary McDonnell and Alfre Woodard  give excellent performances and the supporting cast that Sayles has assembled also have their very strong moments.  Sayles strength as a filmmaker was always in creating believable characters that populate his films.

The biggest problem with Passion Fish is it's length.   The film runs over two hours and could have used a little pruning.  Sayles is clearly in love with his cast and the scenes that help flesh out his characters but  an awful lot of the film does have a tendency to meander at times.

Still a film that features two strong believable actresses working through their personal problems in a realistic way is certainly worth  a look at the very least.  The film has nice on location photography and as usual with John Sayles he takes an editing credit as well.

The screenplay is by John Sayles, the running time is 135 minutes.

2002 - SUNSHINE STATE, pretty good multi character drama from John Sayles

Another interesting multi character, multi story film from writer/director/editor John Sayles and his producing partner Maggie Renzi.  I don't think this is one of his best films but it's very good.

In a small town in Florida, developers are attempting to purchase and develop the beach front for a resort complex.  Some of the locals are tryiing to stop the developers others welcome the money they will bring into the town.  This very brief summary doesn't really describe how Sayles takes a lot of characters and subplots and weaves them all together.

The film is focused on two characters, Angela Basset as a woman attempting to resolve some issues with her judgemental mother or a mother she sees as judgemental and Edie Falco as a woman who as lived all her life in this town is frankly fed up with her life, both these actors are excellent.  Add to this lots of characters and subplots around a town celebration and a romantic relationship that starts to develop between Falco and Timothy Hutton as one of the land developers.

 

A lot of reviewers have pointed out that Sunshine State bears a strong resembelence to some of Robert Altman's multi character films and I suppose that's true.  But unlike Altman, Sayles actually likes or at the very least is sympathetic with all of his characters.

 

My minor criticisms of the film are that it is somewhat of a challenge to sit through the first rather slow moving 20 minutes of the film and the rather abrupt ending.  However this is still a very good film with an impressive cast of actors.

Running time is 141 minutes.

1996 - LONE STAR, excellent drama about a Texas town

 The director and writer John Sayles is a master storyteller skilled at interweaving several stories into one compelling narrative.  Lone Star highlights his strengths as a writer with strong characterizations and an interesting story line.

The film's hook is a mystery story.  What happened to Charlie Wade the corrupt sheriff who vanished years ago in the town of Frontera, Texas?  This plot line is just a hook to look at the interactions between the White and Hispanic residents of Frontera.  Sayles does this with a lot of insight and fairness to the issues raised moving back and forth in time with a series of flashbacks.

The large cast is excellent and the film is told in a straightforward way without any of the usual fancy camera tricks directors seem to want to indulge in.  A very good film.

Running time, 135 minutes.