In the Soup (1992)

This is a low-key gem that is at once about the power of dreams, the power of suggestion, and the tyranny of artistic vision (when there really isn't one to fight for). This disarming comedy by director Alexandre Rockwell was a hit at the Sundance Festival but barely registered commercially. Steve Buscemi stars as a hard-luck case: Adolpho, a wanna-be filmmaker with a phone-book-sized screenplay and no money. He lives in a hellish Lower East Side apartment and has a thing for his standoffish neighbor (Jennifer Beals). When he places a want ad to sell his script, he lands Joe (Seymour Cassell), a would-be investor who, it turns out, is really a con artist. Together, they go looking for money to make the movie. A dizzily funny and understated film in which Cassell gives the performance of his career. --Marshall Fine Amazon.com

IT'S ONLY ME. BUT:

nOT REALLY MY CUP OF TEA. ALEX ROCKWELL WON 2 AWARDS FOR THIS. BROKE WOULD BE WRITE ADVERTISES TO SELL HIS MANUSCRIPT FOR A MOVIE. AD DRWS OUT IS WACHO OLDER MOB RELATED PRODUCER WHO TAKES HIM FOR A RIDE. hERE AGAIN HUBBY ALEX ROCKWELL ONLY GIVES HIS WIFE JENNIFER BEALS MINNIMAL EXPOSURE IN THIS FILM. HIS WHOLE FAMILY IS IN THE FILM. IF YOU BUY JENNIFER BEALS STUFF, BUY STUFF AFTER SHE DIVORCED ROCKWELL IN 1996. SHE GETS MORE ACTION IN FILMS SHE DOE THAT HE IS NOT INVOLVED IN. JM May 31, 2008

Will not satisfy those interest in filmmaking

I bought this film after watching Living in Oblivion. I collect movies about movie making. This is a great character study, but the story line only uses film making and screen writing as a background.


If you are looking for a story about film making this may disappoint. (If you want an idea about how to get money for a film, this does go into that in a comic way.)


For Buscemi fans, I recommend his own movie, TREES LOUNGE instead. February 26, 2008

Magical ride

Wonderfully amusing fun. Mr. Cassel and Mr Buscemi are at their best. My whole family loved it. November 4, 2006

Decent Independent Film

The movie takes more than one viewing to really enjoy. Rather good commentary and extra features; 3 commentaries and interviews. I love the group commentary it's insighful and funny. July 6, 2005

A Lot of Fun

"In the Soup" is a nice little gem of a movie. If you liked Steve Buscemi in "Ghost World" you should like him here because he is basically playing the same perpetually dour and befuddled character. And if you liked "Ghost World" in general you should like "In the Soup" because they have a similar theme and storyline. They both focus on a character being taught how to live by the example of another character. "In the Soup" does not have "Ghost Story's" ironic twist (where the teacher is the one who actually learns how to live). It is more straightforward and not as clever but is still light years more intelligent than most mainstream films.

Buscemi's character needs a producer for his 500-page screenplay with quirky features like beginning with a 20 minute black leader (just a blank screen) to introduce his lead character's blindness. He intends to cast his neighbor (and unrequited love interest) Jennifer Beals who barely acknowledges his existence although he sleeps with her shoe under his pillow. Buscemi gets "in the soup" when he hooks up with a gangster who wants to produce the film. Seymour Cassell plays the gangster with an infectious gusto that deservedly won Sundance Festival's Best Actor Award. All three performances are excellent, as is a brief appearance by Carol Kane as the co-producer of an access TV show featuring nude interviews (The Naked Truth).

If all this sounds to you like it could be fun you are this film's target audience.

Shooting in black-and-white on a tight budget Director Alexandre Rockwell has put together a funny feature with a lot of charm. The production values are first-class. More importantly he has told a worthwhile story and communicated useful lessons to apply to the process of living.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child. May 16, 2005

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