I am quite a fan of John Sayles work. This time around Sayles constructs a political satire, which sets its eyes on the Bush administration.
Though its not direct, one can easily tell that the character of Dickie Pilager (Chris Cooper, ADAPTATION) is meant to represent George W. Bush. Pilager is running for the governor of Colorado. He’s a simple man who often has a hard time finding the right words to say when in front of the press. His father, Judson (Michael Murphy, TANNER ‘88), is a famed senator from the state and a leader of their party. Both politicians are funded heavily by mega-corporation head Wes Benteen (Kris Kristofferson, ALICE DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE).
During the shoot of a campaign commercial, Dickie hooks a dead body with a fishing line. His vicious campaign manager Chuck Raven (Richard Dreyfuss, ONCE AROUND) suspects a conspiracy against them and hires PI Danny O'Brien (Danny Huston, TIMECODE) to check out some chief suspects, which include conservative talk show host Cliff Castleton (Miguel Ferrer, TV’s THE STAND), former engineer for Benteen Casey Lyle (Ralph Waite, TV’s CARNIVALE) and Dickie’s rebellious sister Maddy (Daryl Hannah, KILL BILL). Other important characters include: reporter and Mort’s ex Nora Allardyce (Maria Bello, THE COOLER), lobbyist and Nora’s boyfriend Chandler Tyson (Billy Zane, TITANIC), chef and Mort’s aide Tony Guerra (Sal Lopez, TV’s PORT CHARLES), liberal news Website editor Mitch Paine (Tim Roth, ROB ROY) and Website worker Karen Cross (Thora Birch, AMERICAN BEAUTY).
Sayles uses the mystery as a framework to hang the characters on. However, the plot and themes aren’t as tight as Sayles' LONE STAR, which makes SILVER CITY meander toward the beginning. However, once it gets going it turns into a truly smart entertainment. It deals with issues of lobbyist influence, corporations buying politicians, environmental degradation and the work of the media to cover politics. Plus, the Dickie Pilager character is unforgettable. If you want smart and savvy drama than you can’t go wrong with this film.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
