It’s an election year, and stubbornly independent director John Sayles is not about to miss the party. He’s come out swinging with “Silver City,” a scathing State of the Union message.
Like such recent Sayles offerings as “Sunshine State,” “Silver City” is an ensemble piece that burrows into a corner of America. This time it’s Colorado, where the stunning landscape camouflages the deep rot of political chicanery.
The opening scene sets the plot in gear. Gubernatorial candidate Dickie Pilager (Chris Cooper) is filming a campaign ad at a pristine lake. Pretending to fish, he unwittingly hooks a corpse.
Dickie’s manipulative campaign manager (Richard Dreyfuss, presumably doing Karl Rove) is concerned about whether the dead body might be a dirty trick from the opponents. He hires a private detective, Danny O’Brien (Danny Huston) to investigate.
Danny becomes the central character. He used to be an idealistic investigative journalist, but he lost his calling, and cynicism kicked in. We follow him as he yanks on the long strings of the Pilager family, which reach down to illegal immigrants and Colorado’s mining business.
Michael Murphy plays the elder Pilager, a U.S. senator. Dickie is his dingbat son, a lightweight who “never was much of a reader” and whose speeches are rife with tortured syntax: “You do the time, by God, and you’re gonna have to face your lumps.” Whether this reminds you of any current political figure is, of course, completely up to you.
Among the people in the Pilager orbit are Dickie’s sister (Daryl Hannah), the bohemian black sheep of the family; a former EPA official (Ralph Waite) who’s now a tour guide at a silver mine; a left-wing Web site editor (Tim Roth) and a right-wing radio host (Miguel Ferrer); and a developer (David Clennon) who dreams of a planned community in the pristine mountains.
The man behind the Pilager power is a self-styled cowboy billionaire, played by Kris Kristofferson. Riding his horse in a Marlboro Man pose, he looks out at the natural beauty of Colorado and sees “a treasure chest waiting to be opened.” It troubles him to see nature left unexploited.
Sayles ties together a sinister plot with great skill. He’s out to show how politicians are hopelessly compromised by special interests. It’s a potent attack, and I wish I could give the movie a rave.
“Silver City” has its weak points. A love story between Danny and an ex-flame (excellent Maria Bello, from “The Cooler”) feels conventional, and there’s a first-draft quality to the acting that suggests the quick shooting schedule.
Danny Huston is an interesting choice for the lead role; his deep voice startlingly recalls his father, director John Huston. And I wonder whether Sayles intended the echoes of John Huston’s films (“The Maltese Falcon” for the private-eye stuff, “Treasure of the Sierra Madre” for greed and mining) in casting him. But although I like his offbeat presence, Danny Huston doesn’t have the intensity to carry a movie.
The viciously ironic ending of the film almost makes up for its demerits. In any case, Sayles is in high form here, and he’s earned the right to weigh in.
Chris Cooper stars in “Silver City.”
“Silver City” HHH
John Sayles presents a scathing view of the political process, in which a dingbat wealthy son (Chris Cooper) is running a gubernatorial campaign as corruption springs up around him. It’s an ensemble film, with a rushed quality and a so-so leading character (Danny Huston), but Sayles scores some points, especially in his vicious ending.
Rated: R rating is for language, subject matter.
Now showing: tk
“Silver City” HHH
John Sayles presents a scathing view of the political process, in which a dingbat wealthy son (Chris Cooper) is running a gubernatorial campaign as corruption springs up around him. It’s an ensemble film, with a rushed quality and a so-so leading character (Danny Huston), but Sayles scores some points.
Rated: R rating is for language, subject matter.
Now showing: Meridian, Seven Gables.
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