TREES LOUNGE (1996)
In 1996, Steve Buscemi—arguably the most ‘90s “hey it’s that guy!” actor—stepped behind the camera for his directorial debut TREES LOUNGE. In a world better than this one, it would have made Canadian troubadour Hayden (who sang the clever theme song) a household name. Unfortunately, that did not happen. The film did, however, prove Buscemi a keen-eyed filmmaker.
Buscemi acquits himself well (as always) as the lead actor with the added pressure of directing as the movie follows Tommy, a man who some would kindly refer to as a “loser,” and perhaps charitably a “lout.” When we are introduced to Tommy, he has recently been let go of his job and his girlfriend, Theresa (Elizabeth Bracco), has left him for a more suitable companion, Rob (Anthony LaPaglia). Even with the loss of employment, it is the domestic upheaval that seems to be the main source of Tommy’s despair (and there’s lots of despair to go around for him).
The magic of TREES LOUNGE lies in its characters and its slice-of-life honesty. Buscemi seems almost like a documentarian at times as he allows the film to play out for audiences, almost as if the movie is steering itself. I know Buscemi had spent plenty of time on film sets especially in his acting career and clearly had learned plenty from his experiences. His direction is both nearly seamless and comes off as effortless. You enjoy spending time with Tommy despite his near constant barrage of loutish behaviour.
The supporting cast all does excellent work as well and no role is thankless. There is the excellent scene that nearly threatens to steal the whole movie, where Samuel L. Jackson shows up as Wendell at the Trees (as the bar is affectionately known). It’s a great scene shading the audience’s knowledge of another character. Another example is the sequence where Theresa watches home video footage of a family Christmas from the not-too-distant past, one that she views with a tenderness not often seen in the rest of the film. There is also an excellent scene at the dinner table of Patty, Theresa’s sister—a role portrayed with genuine warmth and sensitivity by Mimi Rogers. Patty is married to Jerry (Daniel Baldwin) and the two are the parents to Debbie (played by Chloe Sévigny with her usual aloofness), who helps show Tommy the ropes of running an ice cream truck for his new gig. There’s a great scene of the four of them enjoying a meal together. The whole sequence has a lived-in believability to it. Audiences truly feel that these people have all broken bread together before and have formed their own rhythms and relationships. It’s nothing showy, just actors doing their jobs, but it seems effortless and easy and infinitely realistic.
In addition to those roles, there are a couple of smaller parts like Suzanne Sheppard’s Jackie who, along with Rockets Redglare as Stan, are ever-present patrons at the Trees; you believe this pair whiles away the hours as Hayden croons “Sit here in Trees Lounge, pouring one more round.” Even the bartender, Vic (Steve Randazzo) gets a moment to shine, as does Carol Kane’s Connie., we arrive at Mike, played with surly confidence as usual by Mark Boone Junior. Buscemi puts more on the man’s plate than he usually gets in other roles, but he is up to the challenge and knocks it out of the park. After Buscemi’s Tommy, Mark Boone Junior has the most screen time, and I love when character actors get the chance at meatier roles and crush it. His Mike is almost an alternate version of Tommy, and it’s in the way Mike often behaves that I think offers Tommy a glimpse of what is missing in his life.
The movie’s documentary atmosphere allows the audience to feel as if they are eavesdropping on someone’s life, albeit one lived on the fringes of society. Tommy’s life at nearly every turn can best be described as one lived in quiet desperation. Buscemi has more than 200 screen credits, but TREES LOUNGE remains his finest acting hour. What separates TREES LOUNGE for me from any other Buscemi performance isn’t just the fact that Buscemi has given himself an excellent character to play in his own movie.
The magic of Buscemi’s performance is that he makes you feel empathy for a character who is a hard person to care about. He purposely does things that are despicable and often mind boggling, but you can’t hate Tommy because it’s evident that deep down there is something worth salvaging from who he is. It’s a moment of realization at the end of the film. The camera bores into the soul of the character—he is the only thing in focus as the movie ends—and you can see through the look on Tommy’s face that he has come to a realization, that reads as a man not liking himself and knowing some serious changes in his life are needed. The film fades to black before any attempt by Tommy is made to right the ship that is his life, but you can see it written on his face the need for change.
TREES LOUNGE is an often-bleak little film but remains one of the best the ‘90s has to offer. A glimpse into the life of a man lost in the world, it also heralded Buscemi’s much needed voice behind the camera as well as in front of it.
