Living In Oblivion (1995)

Released just over thirty years ago to acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival, this was writer/director Tom DiCillo's (The Real Blonde, Johnny Suede) love letter to the trials and tribulations of independent cinema.  It takes place most only a chaotic film set where Nick (Steve Buscemi) is the beleaguered director only looking to get ONE good extended take of the next scene for this film which he developed.  Of course he's not the only one struggling as there is also a put-upon actress (Catherine Keener) feeling pressure from all sides, an egotistical movie star (James LeGros) who's acting as if HE controls the set, an insecure cameraman (Dermot Mulroney) who's also feeling sick, another actor (Peter Dinklage in his on-screen debut) who is just not vibing with his role, and any other number of players behind the scenes who each have their own issues to deal with.  And what results is one of the funniest backstage comedies of the '90's!

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon 

Transcript

LIVING IN OBLIVION -1995

Directed by Tom DiCillo

Starring Steve Buscemi, Catherine Keener, Dermot Mulroney, Danielle von Zerneck, James LeGros, Rica Martens, Kevin Corigan, Robert Wightman, Michael Griffiths, Matthew Grace, Hilary Gilford, and Peter Dinklage

Genre: Backstage Farce (Audio clip)

One of the best indie movies about indie movies at the height of the indie movie explosion in the '90's featuring two stars (Steve Buscemi, Catherine Keener) - who were seemingly in every other indie movie at the time - genuinely cutting loose with characters reliving every conceivable anxiety, insecurity and/or annoyance they have ever experienced on the set of an indie movie. :o 

It's simply told in three acts portraying the filming of three different scenes and it's very funny! Keener is fantastic as a put-upon up-and-coming actress who is often at the center at every scene. Basically we watch her comically struggle to put up a good front against a film crew that keeps messing up every other take with a boom mike that falls into frame or an out-of-control smoke machine...an arrogant early '90's Brad Pitt stand-in named Chad Palomino (played with over-the-top smarm by James LeGros who's clearly have a great time riffing on some of the douchey stars he has co-starred with) who she's having a love scene with but can barely stand to be around because she made the mistake of sleeping with him the night before (watching Keener's face shift from bored resignation eventually to outright defiance at the beginning of every take is a highlight)...and a little person (young Peter Dinklage in a biting cameo, saying what we're all thinking) she has to play against in a dream sequence who clearly doesn't want to be there. 

Buscemi also shines playing a normal guy role for a change as the up-and-coming director trying to prove himself....ALSO struggling to keep his dignity and calm amidst a gaggle of cast and crew who often each seem to putting their personal shit over what he clearly craves the most: just ONE good long take properly blocked where strong emotions are being conveyed by the characters....that's not too much to ask for us it?? :) 

Well writer/director Tom DiCillo clearly thinks it might be on the set of a low-budget movie. This might all sound like stuffy, inside baseball kind of stuff but DiCillo smartly presents it as a balls-out workplace comedy along the lines of Noises Off - all of the craziness occurring backstage during a stage play is just brought front and center on a film set and he wrings every ounce of relatable humor out of it possible. Whether we've worked in films or not, we've ALL dealt with a Chad Palomino before. ;)

Best Needledrop (best song cue or score used throughout runtime of film): 

The low-key score for this film is pretty much pitch-perfect and it comes to us from New York City’s own Jim Farmer who was a composer AND playwright as well…..he would only conduct the scores for a few select films, including every one to be directed by Tom DiCillo.  I’m unable to find any semblance of a soundtrack existing for this film nor even a track list.  But I can say that it fits the overall bleak-yet-whimsical tone of the film very well – mainly pianos and horns, even some xylophone thrown in there for good measure.  Your enjoyment of the music might hinge ENTIRELY on how much you enjoy the movie….but for me, it just works. (Audio clip) 

Wasted Talent (most under-utilized talent involved with film): 

One lingering question after rewatching this film and enjoying it so much has always lingered: Whatever happened to Tom DiCillo?  He was/is clearly a talented guy….not only a writer and director but has also worked as an actor.  This was only his second film and he would go on to direct four more feature films over the next decade after this – EACH of them co-starring Steve Buscemi, Catherine Keener, and/or Dermot Mulroney – AND an acclaimed documentary about The Doors in 2009 called When You’re Strange. (Audio clip) 

And SINCE 2009?  A few episodes of TV including Chicago Fire, The Good Wife, Law & Order….and really not much else.  Well is there anything DRAMATIC which happened?  Some big project which fell through, some scandal….nope not really, he just slowed down.  DiCillo was already in his ‘40’s by the time he participated in this indie boom in the ‘90’s with EVERY one of his films premiering at the Sundance Film Festival and as of this recording, he’s 73 just living a quiet life occasionally publishing one of his screenplays….and that’s ok.  I don’t believe I have seen every one of his films though I somewhat remember checking out this two immediate follow-ups to this on video – Box of Moonlight and The Real Blonde.  I enjoyed them both though not as much as this….and THAT’S ok too.  Not EVERY new hot-shot indie director from this era had to explode into their own mini-industry like a Tarantino or Kevin Smith NOR flame out spectacularly like a Troy Duffy or Tony Kaye, director of previous episode American History X.  Some just moved on, lived quiet lives like Mr. DiCillo – I’m happy for him and his contributions to cinema remain unassailable. (Audio clip) 

Trailer Moment (scene or moment that best describes this movie):

As the whole structure of the film is basically three segments with EACH one focusing on the filming of one scene….and during each sequence, there is at least ONE sawed off rant by a character on set.  My PERSONAL favorite has to be from one of THE best on-screen ranters EVER…..BUSCEMI!  HE’S the star and he’s in RARE form at the end of the first segment….NOTHING is going well, the boom mike is showing, the cameraman keeps getting violently ill, and then finally things come to a head when a loud, PRONOUNCED beep suddenly emerges. (Audio clip) 

Scenes like this were always the reason to check out the latest Steve Buscemi vehicle at this point in the ‘90’s….to just see him go off on every one else on screen.  Not only that but to see all of the comically horrified faces on each of the surrounding characters.  This doesn’t make any of the other rants featured ANY less enjoyable but it’s genuine DELIGHT to see one of our greatest living character actors really cook and chew up the scenery! (Audio clip) 

MVP (person or people most responsible for the success of this film):

At the end of the day, this is VERY much Tom DiCillo’s movie – it was clearly a personal project for him, crafting a comically exaggerated examination of the struggles he has experienced helming smaller independent movies.  The entire production only lasted about 15 days with a miniscule budget – it was the textbook definition of a labor of love on the part of the filmmaker.  Infact a direct quote from him: DiCillo wrote the film “in a state of mind teetering between homicide and suicide.” 

And what’s pretty novel about his approach to this story is that there is pretty much NO overriding narrative, it’s pretty much just a series of vignettes – each one works separately and they also work collectively to spin a hysterically funny tale with several well-drawn characters who drive the comedy.  Even as it veers into the absurd at point, the overall vibe of this film still FEELS real…..and for pulling that off with the one of the more underrated comedies of the ‘90’s, Tom DiCillo is the MVP. 

Final Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 

I just ADORE this film.  YES you could say that so many aspects of the filmmaking process shown on-screen have dated quite a bit….but that’s kind of the point.  This was a VERY particular time for cinema in general – there was undoubtedly an indie explosion going on with Miramax and Sundance and such….and even with this influx of fresh talent and new approaches to the artform of film, several cliches continued to endure as new, tired tropes (including little people being used in fantasy sequences) also arose.  Happy 30th Anniversary to one of my favorite movies ABOUT movies!  

Streaming on Fandor, Philo, Shout Factory, Roku, kanopy, YouTube, plex, & Fawesome

And that ends another HOSTESS TWINKIE MOTHERFUCKER review!