Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 6, 1993 TAG: 9311080002
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: C7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Viewers will be reminded at various times of "Blood Simple," Terrence Malick's "Badlands," "The Grifters" and even "The Last Picture Show." But writer/director Steven Kloves isn't imitating anyone. This is an original.
The movie begins with an introductory scene in the early 1960s that's as frightening and tense as anything that's been put on film recently. It's so good that you should know nothing about it. The rest of the story is set in the present, in several small Texas towns.
That's where Arliss Sweeney (Dennis Quaid) makes the rounds restocking his vending machines and collecting quarters. Arliss is a quiet, careful man who minds his own business but doesn't miss much, either. He catches a sexy, penny- ante crook (Samantha Alan Woods) in the act but since she hasn't harmed him, he does nothing. Their paths continue to cross, though.
Then through an odd coincidence - the film is filled with them - Arliss meets Kay Davies (Meg Ryan) who's making a half- hearted escape attempt from a bad marriage. The fourth member of this curious quartet is Arliss's father (James Caan), a spooky and cheerful personification of evil.
As he did in "The Fabulous Baker Boys," Kloves tells his story through the characters. Though the plot appears to wander far afield at times, it never starys far from its central themes. The problem is that it moves so slowly. It takes Kloves more than two hours to tell an essentially simple tale of familial guilt and individual responsibility. If the film had been 15-20 minutes shorter, as it could have been, it would have been much stronger.
Kloves uses that leisurely pace to create a srong sense of place. The less scenic side of rural Texas - all dust, rust and barbed wire - is almost as important as the human characters. The actors are understated and believable throughout. Dennis Quaid is particularly good. He's much more restrained and introspective than he normally is and that's exactly what the part calls for.
Finally, there's the problematic conclusion. Again, it wouldn't be fair to viewers to reveal the conflicts or the final confrontation. But while Kloves' ending certainly has a degree of realism, it's dramatically unsatisfying.
Even so, "Flesh and Bone" has its moments. It's a serious, quiet thriller, something out of the ordinary for suspense fans.
\ Flesh and Bone: ** 1/2 A Paramount release playing at the ... 122 min. Rated R for violence, strong language, brief nudity, sexual content.
by CNB