Albino Alligator

Amazon.com

Actor Kevin Spacey made his directorial debut in this uneven crime thriller that has the claustrophobic feel of a play. Matt Dillon, Gary Sinise, and William Fichtner play a trio of robbers who have just pulled a job gone wrong. On the run from the cops, they hide out in a basement bar, where they try to figure out their next move. There's a certain amount of urgency, however, because Sinise, the brains of the outfit, is badly wounded--which means that Fichtner, the group psycho, is allowed to run wild, terrorizing the barflies unlucky enough to be their hostages. As the cops swarm outside the bar--thinking these three are major criminals rather than small potatoes--tensions mount, mostly through misunderstanding. But it's all a lot of talk, not nearly enough of it interesting, that pushes the movie slowly to its inevitable conclusion. --Marshall Fine

Description

An intense, all-star action-thriller, ALBINO ALLIGATOR is directed by Academy Award(R)-winner Kevin Spacey (1999 Best Actor -- AMERICAN BEAUTY). Matt Dillon (THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY), and Emmy-winner Gary Sinise (1998 Best Actor In A Miniseries Or Movie, GEORGE WALLACE) play brothers Dova and Milo ... a couple of small-time crooks suddenly in way over their heads! When a holdup goes terribly wrong, the robbers flee to a local bar, desperately taking everyone inside hostage! With nowhere to run and time running out, it's a deadly situation where every second counts! Also starring Golden Globe-winner Faye Dunaway (1999 Best Supporting Actress, GIA) -- expect unexpected twists and turns, all leading to an incredibly explosive climax!

Customer Reviews:

Great Actors & Director but Bad Script.......2006-05-24

There's a superb cast assembled here. You have Faye Dunaway, Gary Sinise, Viggo Mortensen, Joe Mantegna and several others. It's like a play - primarily set in one small, claustrophobic basement bar with only one exit. There's a trio of brothers who are petty thieves who take the few bar people hostage while they try to think their way out of their mess. In the meantime the cops and news reporters do their usual dances outside.

This is of course a theme that's been done many, many times in many situations. How the hostage-takers each have different views on what to do and fight amongst themselves. How the hostages first rebel against the situation and then try to work with the captors in order to work things out. How the newscasters "screw things up" for the cops by broadcasting information they shouldn't.

I really appreciated that, while the movie is inherently about violence and threatened violence, that they didn't make the movie about gore. They explicitly set scenes up so that you see what's coming - but you don't see the actual damage. You see the results reflected in the eyes of the actors. It's about the emotion and the impact.

The problem isn't the directing - Kevin Spacey does a nice job of framing the shots and setting the pace. You feel the tension build as the characters stay locked in this small space for hour after hour. The problem isn't the actors either - each of the actors gives their character a sense of honest realism that reflects their skills.

The problem isn't the "setup" either - most plays are set up exactly like this one and many of those do fantastically well on the movie screen. I could name a ton of movies that are set primarily in one room, where that helps the characters to shine.

The issue here is the writing. You can see the actors really struggle to deliver the lines with feeling - but it can be really difficult. First, the 3 brothers. Matt Dillon's character is a not-smart flip-flopper who starts to agree with whoever talked with him last. William Fichtner is the psychotic one who wants to kill everyone - he even slugs his own brother for the hell of it. Gary Sinese is the smart brother, but he doesn't have much influence over his brothers. The dynamics between these three could really have been incredible - but instead the dialogue makes it frustrating and at times inane. When characters start dropping, you really are rooting for some of the brothers to go.

The bar patrons really aren't fleshed out enough for you to care much about them. In fact, Faye's character comes off rather rough at the beginning - especially with her son being there, it's hard to believe she'd really antagonize the gun-toting criminals as much as she does. Viggo's character, as the super-quiet Canadian, has almost zero personality. His great talent with languages could really have been shown off, given that the character seems to be French speaking, but it isn't.

In all, there was huge potential - but the script's flaws were just too large to overcome. I found the experience quite unsatisfying.

Great cast with dialogue that doesn't quite match up.......2005-08-16

I was drawn to buy this movie because of it's cast. The movie revolves around three desparate second rate crooks that get themselves in a mess and end up taking a tavern's patrons hostage. Watching this moving in 2005, it seems dated, even though I didn't think it needed to. I remember another movie involving hostage taking; a much older film, called Straw Dogs, yet it did not seem awkward watching it years later. There are a few tense moments and a few surprises along the way, but this film could have been much, much better.

Say What....?.......2004-06-09

....the ultimo movie about a bungled heist job and the crooks are holed out somewheres is....Reservior Dogs. This has great actors in it...I enjoyed seeing, f'instance, Dame Dunaway...but, she, Sinise, Dillon, Mantegna, and perpetual co-lister Faison had a poor dialog to work with. Imagine if QT had written it. Or, my favorite tough guy screenwriter, David Mamet. Fortunately though, Spacey will have something to build on develop a director's repertoire...

A Mixed Bag.......2002-08-12

Director Kevin Spacey leads a superb cast who do reasonably well considering the material. Don't get me wrong, the film's idea is a good one. But this script seems more suitable as a play, than a film. Being that most of the film takes place in a one room bar. Faye Dunaway is great, as well as Gary Sinise in a subdued role. But Matt Dillion's tough guy routine seems a little forced, and by the end of the film it's a little tired. However, this is suitable start as Spacey's debut. It's enjoyable too watch, especially if you let yourself sink into it, and try not too deconstruct it's flaws.

The Spaceman's Directorial Debut.......2002-07-14

I bought this DVD purely to hear the feature-length director's commentary by THE MAN himself, Kevin Spacey. I wasn't disappointed. It's like hearing a course on acting, cinematography, and almost every aspect of film-making, plus some amusing stories along the way.

What really surprised me was how good the film turned out to be. I was so engrossed with the drama, that I paused the DVD to turn off (egads!) Mr. Spacey's narration to concentrate on the action. It's that good.

Average customer rating:
Charlie Rose with Richard Holbrooke; Kevin Spacey (January 14, 1997)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
All Titles | Charlie Rose Store | Television | Genres | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000IU35WC
Release Date: 2006-09-28

Description

Charlie speaks with former Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke about foreign policy as Bill Clinton prepares for his second term. Plus, Kevin Spacey talks to Charlie about the Academy Award he recently won for his film The Usual Suspects. Also, Spacey discusses his first experience directing on the film, Albino Alligator.

Average customer rating:

Albino Alligator [Region 2]
Starring: Matt Dillon , Faye Dunaway , Gary Sinise , William Fichtner , and Viggo Mortensen
Director: Kevin Spacey
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00004VYGY

Average customer rating:

Albino Alligator
Starring: Albino Alligator
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Charlie Rose with Joe Klein & Dan Goodgame; Faye Dunaway; Nancy Friday; Arnold Scaasi (October 7, 1996)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Joe Klein & Dan Goodgame; Faye Dunaway; Nancy Friday; Arnold Scaasi (October 7, 1996)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

First, Joe Klein of Newsweek and Dan Goodgame of Time magazine reflect on last night's presidential debate between Bob Dole and Bill Clinton. Then, actress Faye Dunaway, whose career spans more than 40 films, talks about her two new movies, John Grisham's, The Chamber, in which she plays an alcoholic socialite, and Albino Alligator, actor Kevin Spacey's directorial debut. Next, author Nancy Friday talks about men and women and the findings she has made about male- female relationships in the 21st century which are found in her new book, The Power of Beauty. Finally, Arnold Scaasi, widely regarded as New York's last custom fashion designer, talks about the retrospective of his work on display at the New York Historical Society and his new book, Scaasi: A Cut Above.

DVD:

DVD

DVD