Things Behind the Sun (2001)

Underrated!

I usually always see anything that stars the slightly trashy-for-some-reason-always-sexy Rosanna Arquette. It's a fetish and I'm getting help for it. And Don Cheadle has methodically established himself as a bankable Hollywood talent. I also love the earnestness of independent films. Although not many people have seen this film, it showcases a performance from Don Cheadle that could've served as an aggregate preview of his future work. I must admit though, I'm not quite yet a Gabriel Mann fan. I think he sometimes comes off as a skinny, spaced-out younger version of James Spader. For those of you who don't appreciate independent films, you may not enjoy this movie, because it does take a while to come together. But with a little patience this film delivers. This film also shows a bit of courage, as it delves into some of the rarely talked about fallout only rape victims can identify with; namely, the subsequent preferring or needing of abusive situations for sexual satisfaction and the revolving door of guilt that scenario consequently opens. Although Things Behind the Sun is predictable in spots, the strength and depth with which the characters are explored makes this film an underrated winner. May 20, 2007

Mixed feelings

This isn't an easy film to watch, but I'm glad I did. Don Cheadle plays Chuck, one of the most understanding boyfriends on earth. It's his character that I had the most questions about after finishing the film -- questions the more I pondered, the more they helped. Gabriel Mann plays Owen, a rock journalist doing a piece on Chuck's songwriter girlfriend, Sherry, who has a hit song about her traumatic past, which stirs up memories of Owen's own traumatic past. Owen decides to turn the piece into an "I'll get 'em for you" story on the boys that hurt her, and includes himself for good measure.

This is Allison Anders most personal film, and probably her strongest. A lot of times I wish these films dealing with abuse would give more backstory on the assailants, not to justify the behavior, but to attempt to understand the causes. Without being shown any hope of redemption, I suspect many abusers are more likely to keep up the bad behavior; and without being shown the causes, many potential abusers may miss the warning signs. Then again, you could just label them all evil and wipe them off the face of the earth to make room for more strip clubs and shopping malls. January 23, 2007

Quirky and likable.

Things Behind the Sun (Allison Anders, 2001)

When you make a movie like this-- a deeply personal autobiographical flick whose main characters are played by relative unknowns, but whom you've surrounded with top-flight actors who are consistently underrated by Hollywood-- you're bound to make either a film that will eventually be called one of the greatest ever made or a piece of utter crap. There's really no middle ground-- or at least, there wasn't before. Along comes Allison Anders and changes all that. Things Behind the Sun is not the kind of deathless filmmaking we've all been aware, in the back of our heads, she's capable of since we all saw Four Rooms. But it's certainly not bad, not bad at all. It's a little manipulative, kind of cheesy in spots, but if you're aware that this is autobiography, you can't not watch this movie and keep thinking to yourself "this could have been so much worse than it is."

Sherry McGrale (Deadwood beauty Kim Dickens) is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter in Florida with a past so ugly she's repressed it, but everyone around her knows something very bad happened; she shows up drunk on the lawn of the same house three years running. Chuck (Don Cheadle), her manager, tries to get her through and best she can and keep her from derailing her career. An intern at a music magazine in LA gets ahold of one of the group's demos shortly after and plays it for her boyfriend Owen (Dominion's Gabriel Mann, doing his best James Spader impersonation), a writer at the magazine, who is stunned by it, and campaigns stridently for the magazine to go interview the young singer. Owen, of course, has a catch-- he, and his older brother Dan (Killing Zoe's Eric Stoltz), are directly involved in the traumatic events in Sherry's past.

It's the kind of coincidence that simply doesn't fly in fiction, which is likely the main reason that the movie's publicity (and the DVD's jacket copy) goes to such lengths to impress upon potential viewers that, yes, it really did happen this way. And once you swallow the mother of all coincidences, Things Behind the Sun becomes an intriguing movie about memory, guilt, and forgiveness, brave enough to ask the questions and never provide satisfactory answers for them. Despite her closeness to the material, Anders takes almost a hands-off approach to directing-- put the actors in front of the camera and let them do their thing. You need a strong stable of actors for that, and Anders has them. Just to back things up, her minor characters read like a who's-who of the best B-list talent Hollywood has to offer-- Elizabeth Pena, CCH Pounder, Patsy Kensit, Rosanna Arquette, Alison Folland, and a number of others. (It helps to have your main character's backing band made up of members of Redd Kross and Dinosaur Jr., as well.)

Anders has put together quite a good little film here, one that has been unjustly overlooked. Do yourself a favor and rediscover it. *** ½ December 13, 2006

A lost little girl found alive

This is an absolutely wonderful film that I had never heard of before chancing upon it at a public library. Someone there should get a raise. There are two excellent reviews here by eurotrashgirl and jhclues, and I have only a few things to add.

If you are close to someone whose life has been degraded by childhood cruelty, you must see this film. If you merely love superbly realistic storytelling and wonderful acting, see it as well. In addition to the performances mentioned by the other reviewers, the lovely and gracious Elizabeth Pena has a brief but crucial role as the young mother who now lives at the house where Sherry was raped those many years ago. Her character sets a beautiful example of overcoming disdain and disgust to sense someone else's pain and reach out in compassion. Very moving and inspiring.

Be warned that this is definitely not for the immature or squeamish. There are several torrid sex scenes that push the boundaries of an R rating. They all serve the needs of the story in one way or another, but most are at least disturbing and two rapes of young girls are both terrifying and heartrending. Think hard before letting your kids see this.

All in all, a film I would like to add to my collection and see again (but not more often than I can stand something this intense). January 13, 2004

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