# Red Rock West (1992)

### reviewed by
Mark R. Leeper

                                   RED ROCK        WEST
                          A        film review by Mark R. Leeper
                           Copyright 1994 Mark R. Leeper

              Capsule review:  Newcomer filmmakers John and        Rick Dahl
         have the knack of really holding an audience's attention.
         This is a tense and twisty        crime thriller worthy of Jim
         Thompson.        Catch it quick because it is getting only a very
         short release.  Rating: +2        (-4 to +4)

         The Coen Brothers,        Joel and Ethan,        introduced themselves to the world
    of cinema with BLOOD SIMPLE, an        inexpensively made crime thriller set in
    Texas.        Their next film        was the        comedy RAISING ARIZONA and they        never
    returned to their original style.  Now two more        brothers, John and Rick
    Dahl, have come        on the scene with their        own tightly-written crime thriller,
    and you        can be certain these brothers will be around for a while.  RED ROCK
    WEST is        a tense, edge-of-the-seat sort of crime        film that could        easily be
    taken for some Coen Brothers lost second film.

         The action        takes place entirely in        or near        the fly-speck Wyoming town
    of the title.  Michael (nicely under-played by Nicholas        Cage) comes to this
    area all the way from Texas for        a promised job that evaporates when he is
    too honest about a knee        injured        during his time        in the Marines.         Out of        luck
    and totally out        of money he goes into Red Rock to see if he can        get any        kind
    of a job.  There he meets Wayne        (J. T. Walsh).        Wayne has hired        someone
    named Lyle from        Texas for a job.  Wayne        sees Michael's license plates and
    assumes        this is        Lyle.  Michael decides to pretend to be        Lyle and grab up the
    job first.  Then Michael finds out what        the job        is.  He        has to murder
    Wayne's        wife Suzanne (Lara Flynn Boyle).  Then the plot        twists start coming.
    And they keep on coming.  In fact, except for one sex scene there isn't        a
    five-minute section of film that doesn't have some sort        of radical plot
    twist.        Michael        is one innocent        and honest man who finds himself in a nest
    of biting vipers.  He has just the one wish: to        get out        of Red Rock.  That
    sounds simple, but time        and again events drag him into the town.  As he        gets
    more and more deeply involved his chances of just staying alive        become
    smaller        and smaller.  One of the marks of how suspenseful this film is was
    the nervous laughter in        audience as twists are revealed.  The film is
    plotted        so that        nearly every apparent loose end        attaches someplace else,
    much like Scorsese's AFTER HOURS.

         After Cage's over-the-top performances in films like VAMPIRE'S KISS it
    is nice        to see him underplaying        a little.  Walsh also is nicely        menacing.
    Only Dennis Hopper seems insufficiently        restrained as a        fellow ex-Marine who
    runs into Michael almost literally.

         RED ROCK WEST is a        tidy little film noir thriller and an auspicious
    debut for the Brothers Dahl.  The film has gotten only a very modest
    theatrical release and simultaneously is being released        to video.
    Apparently no major distributor        wanted to take a chance        on it.        With the
    reviews        it has been getting there are going to be a lot        of distribution
    executives looking for work in places like Red Rock, Wyoming.  They should
    remember to find out what the new job is before        they accept it.

         Welcome to        the film game, John and        Rick.  Stick around.  I        think you're
    gonna make it.        I give RED ROCK        WEST a +2 on the -4 to +4 scale.

                                            Mark R. Leeper
                                            att!mtgzfs3!leeper
                                            leeper@mtgzfs3.att.com

    .

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