Really Surprised!

Powerful

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Watching Buffalo 66 because as per the title the film was shot a good deal in the city that is home to me now. I did recognize a few places, but the rather weird story kind of put me off.Vincent Gallo plays a young man newly released from prison who has hidden his incarceration from his parents is now coming home to his less than loving parents Ben Gazzara and Angelica Huston. He's said he's married so he has to produce a wife. What to do but kidnap a wife and in this case Christina Ricci.Usually that kind of premise signals a comedy, but Buffalo 66 is anything but. Sadly the best part of the film is with the parents which covers about half. The rest is half.Gallo and Ricci are quirky but in this case it wasn't enough to grab me and hold my attention. I'm in agreement with other reviewers who say Gallo feels no self worth due to the environment he was raised in. The future isn't optimistic for either of them.Acting honors go to Gazzara and Huston. Wish the whole film had been about these two self centered jerks.

I love this movie. When first I saw it I couldn't help myself watching it over again for the next four nights. What's great about it is the emotion it puts you through and how it has you changing you mind about the main character Billy Brown as the story progresses. I imagine there are thousands of people who have sat down to watch this picture and not been able to finish because Billy is the most complex, yet overwhelmingly irritating character ever created; constantly repeating himself and whining around in circles, but please perceive with him as I promise you it is worthwhile. It is difficult to write this review as I have to sidestep laying out any spoilers and therefor cannot say to much even though in terms of events, the movie is very lightweight. Again, if you are watching this movie waiting for something to happen, I urge you just to go with it and try to bare the uncomfortable long scene where Billy pays his parents a visit. Also, needing to be mentioned it the soundtrack of this movie which personally I believe to be among the best, featuring original music from writer, director and star Vincent Gallo as well as prog-rock artists like Yes and King Crimson. Finally, I apologise again that I am unable to say to much, I myself am frustrated and perhaps I will write a second review on this picture which does contain spoilers for there really is a lot to say about it. To do so in a closing statement without being specific about the story line, I'd like to say that Buffalo 66 is the single movie which puts me through the widest array of emotions and I desperately want others to have the same experience I did.

This makes you wonder about the relatively distinguishable thin line between artists and entertainers and what does it mean to be one or another or even a mix of both. What can be said of Vincent Gallo's efforts as a director? "The Brown Bunny" outraged many crowds out there not only because of its infamous real sex scene but because the work itself seemed an egoistical attempt to prove something to someone and that was the director trying to impress himself. It's quite pretentious, very empty but manageable, watchable. Now, the beloved "Buffalo '66" appears to have more logic, more sense and a good structure with its transitions from one scene to the next one, there's an artist moving and creating those moments and sometimes everything flows so easily, so it can't be art, this Jekyll is getting dominated by Mr. Hyde, the mindless entertainment. What's the verdict? But let us go down with the story: Gallo plays Billy, a convict just released from prison who has two plans on his mind: to kill the man responsible for his arrest and to pay a visit to his parents (Anjelica Huston and Ben Gazzara) of whom he doesn't have much of a good relationship, and during those years arrested he sent letters pretending he was working for the government on a secret project and that he also got married. The latter plan is absurd because he doesn't know anyone, he's deeply immersed in himself so what does he do? He kidnaps a girl (Christina Ricci) and forces her to be his wife while he's visiting his folks. All she has to do is to make him look nice before them, show that they are a loving couple. And who could have thought such plan not only worked out but also Billy got himself a bonus: the girl fell for him despite all of his cruelties and commands.What does "Buffalo '66" is trying to impose with its apparently innocuous speech? One direction: it's an unconventional love story with everything to go wrong but in the end it turns out alright. Another deeper perspective, which also includes the fore-mentioned view, merely says to us that misogynists, homophobes and scums of the earth deserve some love and understanding and they'll get it in the most strange of ways. That's what I get from watching this. Billy treats everybody bad, people seem to worth nothing for him (the only guy of whom he doesn't say a word and keeps with his head down through the whole time is the character played by Mickey Rourke) and he keeps going with this trend for on and on. Basically, with this movie Gallo is giving hope to many idiots out there who think acting like his character will give them something truly rewarding, they'll find true love...someday!If that's the way it's not supposed to be read, then why all the gigantic love this movie has? The story isn't appealing (except here and there), takes a whole lot of time to take over and to make us involved. At the top of all: the script is annoying as hell with its characters, specially Billy, repeating their lines and situations over and over. What's up with the bathroom thing? All the time he needed a bathroom. "Just look at me. Just look at me" or "Goon! Goon!" and even "We are a couple that doesn't touch." and always getting something involving chocolate. When Ricci's character was offered to have something brought to her by Billy, before she answered I said to myself "If she says chocolate once again I'll give thumbs down to this movie!". And she said it. But then, the climatic moment unfolded and it was beautiful, seemed to worth all the while and all the craziness. Won't say what happens in it except that it might be the greatest use of a Yes song in a movie with "Heart of the Sunrise" playing for quite a bit. Besides that moment there's some memorable good sequences such as Gazzara's dubbing a music pretending to be a great singer or the girl's story on how she met Billy, inventing their perfect love story. The man has some good imagination, I'll give you that. He can prove to be artistic but gotta work harder to be considered one. And it was an autobiographical story? Well...not much of an interesting one. At the end of the day it's just another purposeless story made to leave you at ease and distracted, enjoying the little entertainment it can offer you. Liked it but not that much and I'm still trying to figure out what's so special about it for people to love it. Almost forgot: and once again the man flattered himself about his member, this time not showing it but with someone saying "But it's SO big!" to him. Ugh... 6/10

i had never heard of this guy Vincent Gallo before i happened to watch this movie. Later i also learned that he had been in company with likes of Jean Michael Basquiat.Verisimilitude of performances and sequence of events can actually make you feel all of it happening with you. Human being in despair develops dangerous ideas in their mind as a means to show their hatred towards things that disappointed them. And sometimes he is so obsessed with the idea, he becomes oblivion of all the facts.Billy brown was force to get himself convicted as a favor to pay his debt. When he is released from Jail he is filled with rage and his only motive is to kill Scott woods who he believes deliberately lost the game for 'Buffalo'. Billy batted for Buffalo and their loss got him into debt. But before that he once wishes to visit his parents who are least excited to see him after long. His mother is only happy to see his son alive and not eager to know anything except his good looking wife. Billy, to present himself reasonably for couple of hours in front of his parents abducts a young dancer who falls for him at first sight. Though the proposal of pretending herself as his wife and visiting Billy's parents seems an absurd idea she agrees to do so without any resistance. Billy's obsession to kill Scott Woods fails him to realize the true love of that girl until towards the very end of the movie.Billy's disturbed and confused state of mind is well portrayed by Gallo and it will drive you to hysterical laughters. Ricci is so adorable, no one but only Billy can neglect her charm.