The Salton Sea 2003
Cinequest San Jose Film Festival 2003 Maverick Tribute Award
"I loved playing him. He's obsessed and broken, like hamlet. He doesn't know quite what to do, although he seems to know very clearly what to do. He's a complicated character." ~Val Kilmer (on his role of Danny Parker)
Nothing is as it seems...
Story Caught up in the permanent nighttime of the habitual methamphetamine user, Danny Parker (Val Kilmer) and his friends close the curtains so they can't tell what time of day it is.
But, while his associates revel in their highs, Danny is haunted by his previous life as Tom Van Allen, a trumpet player.
Tragically, Van Allen lost his wife (Chandra West) in the crossfire of a shoot out. In an effort to find his wife's killer, he became a police informant, adopting a heavily-tattooed disguise. Living life on the edge, Van Allen became consumed by this alter-reality life.
When he discovers that a Mexican drug lord has put a hit out on him, Van Allen decides to pull one last score, which unfortunately involves Pooh-Bear (Vincent D'Onofrio), a childlike kingpin with a penchant for torture and a gaping void where his nose once was.
D.J. Caruso's directorial debut is a beautifully photographed punk-noir set against the backdrop of a gang of speed freaks in contemporary L.A. Opening with a brief history of methamphetamine, The Salton Sea immediately establishes an original tone for its kaleidoscopic tour through well-traveled territory.
Taking its cue from the wave of mid-1990s crime films, the script by Tony Gayton delivers the usual doses of hip humor, but also infuses the proceedings with dollops of pain and loss, often shifting the tone to that of the more soulful, responsible crime films of the 1970s.
Cast Val Kilmer, Vincent D'Onofrio, Adam Goldberg, and Luis Guzmán
Our Two Cents Kilmer's portrayal of Danny Parker is brilliant. D'Onofrio as Pooh-Bear is insane. Great story, cast and performances. A must see film.
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