martymartymarty Review of The Velocity of Gary

The Velocity of Gary (1998)

This Could Have Been So Good, But......

[4/10 · 27 August 2006]

This movie was for me a bit like riding a carousel -- ups and downs and a dizzying sense of sticking with it a bit too long. So many excellent performances but as it progressed it just felt like a shaken up jigsaw puzzle that didn't have all the pieces in its box. Thomas Jane showed good range, and Vincent D'Onofrio was convincing despite his *hideous* shoulder-length wig (though I assume that was intentional). Thomas and Vincent had excellent chemistry, their make-out scenes were surprisingly passionate -- I saw this in edited form on TV so I don't know what might have been edited out. Salma Hayek was also quite good, though I have not seen enough of her work to know if she was portraying a character that was annoying and histrionic or if that's just how she is on screen... Also, I really wish that the drag queen character in the start of the film had been kept in play for the whole thing (despite the cliché-ridden violent greeting to The Big City his character received). This movie should be shown to film students so they can take a look at a movie that falls apart and theorize just exactly why. Incidentally, some of the most minor characters -- receptionist at the clinic, the angry glazed donut guy, the crossing guard woman -- gave the most interesting performances. *shrug* Alright for watching in the midst of a Night Owl overnight, but not a film to pursue seeing.