Purely Joyful Movie!

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

I love Tom Waits' music, I think he himself is a very interesting personality, and I saw this at the height of my interest in him, back when it came out in theaters. Yet I actually thought there was too much Waits in this movie. The director seemed in love with Tom, to the point where I felt like all the other band members were ignored. I didn't think Tom's "character" was developed particularly well--nothing very interesting happened with it. So the film was, to me, an unhappy cross between a straight concert film and a fictional story with characters. If they were going to go with a fictional story, and have Tom play someone other than himself, I think they should have taken it much further.

This movie is perfect for those who have an appreciation of the artistry of Tom Waits, or who can say with some degree of honesty that they watch and enjoy movies on the IFC channel. I would not recommend this movie however to those who are unfamiliar with his work. The combination of his visual imagery and unique sound is likely to be too much for the uninitiated. You should be comfortable with his music before watching Big Time. This warning of course does not include IFC watchers who can handle just about any degree of weirdness. The movie itself is a series of vignettes very loosely tied together, with Tom as the central character. Each includes or at least introduces one or two songs and a monologue. The vignettes include portions of concert shows but all are set within the environs of a rather seedy theatre, including such areas as the loge, the bathroom and the ticket booth. It is a great treat to see Tom Waits performing live. If you are familiar with and enjoy his music you will surely enjoy this movie. Turn the sound down and you will quickly realize that the visual aspect of the performance is structured much as his music is. The result is a wild agglomeration of disparate elements that cuts to the quick but delivers a soul satisfying experience.

Great footage of Waits and his band. Carney on reeds and Ribot on guitars are well worth the listening, if you can find the video. Waits outrageous on stage.Ribot stayed with Waits throughout the '90s, as well as recording on his own and with others; Carney one of the hot jazzers of the late '90s with his group Oranj Symphonette.Songs are from the Swordfishtrombones/Frank's Wild Years/Rain Dogs era. You'll never hear them the same way after seeing the film.

I'm not the best at reviews, but I wanted SOMETHING to be written here. I know you can do a better job, please feel free!Anyway, I got this movie expecting something far different. It is a live concert film at times, but it is also a play about 'Frank' of Frank's Wild Years.It does have some interesting visuals, such as the flaming umbrella in 9th an Hennepin, and Tom singing in the shower on Innocent When You Dream.I did enjoy the film 'Big Time' more than the CD 'Big Time' - I enjoy seeing his theatrical vision. I'd love to know what Tom wanted the audience to get out of the movie.