Buffalo Soldiers (2001)

Plan: Toward the end of the cold war, the U.S government offered criminals a choice: jail or the army. Ray Elwood (Joaquin Phoenix) chose the army. Stationed outside Berlin shortly before the fall of wall, Elwood is making a killing trading anything he can get his hands on the black market, while his commander, Colonel Berman (Ed Harris), is none the wiser. Elwood sees opportunity in an accident to make millions, but his new top, Sergeant Lee (Scott Glenn), grows suspicious and decides to take Elwood down. As pay back, Elwood decides to start dating Lee's only daughter, Robyn (Anna Paquin).

The back of the box claims that this movie is a comedy in the tradition of Pulp Fiction. As you well know, I've never seen Pulp Fiction, so I make no such similar claims.

I can tell you that this is a macabre comedy that only the truly independent can produce and only the truly morbid (i.e. me) can enjoy.

So, if you are morbid enough to find comedy in the macabre, then I can say that this is the movie for you.

When I saw Ned Kelly, I thought Gregor Jordan (director) was good with drama. Surprisingly, he has shown me that he is much better with comedy. While the camera seems to sit idly in some shots, Jordan is setting you up for bigger and bigger laughs. He always takes his time walking into a joke, and you almost feel like you get more out of them for that reason.

He collaborated with Nora Maccoby and one of the book's authors, Eric Axel Weiss, on the screenplay. While the plot, and even some of the jokes, are obvious, they manage to craft genuine characters and caricatures that they milk for all their worth.

Phoenix plays his lovable rascal close to his sleeve, largely depending on dead pan delivery and a smirk to get him through. The script makes falling in love with Paquin an easy requirement, and Phoenix gives Elwood just the right amount of shock, courage, and fear.

Can I just say that I really like Paquin? Every time I see her, I think, "Hey, it's Anna Paquin", and I nod my head with satisfaction. That phrase and action is some of the highest praise I can give an actor. I'm always glad to see her, and she hasn't disappointed me in the last four years.

Harris plays something of a lovable doufus here, a sort of Colonel Klink of the American side. I can tell he enjoys taking a poke at himself, but there's something about his handsome, masculine face that makes it difficult to truly believe that someone could so deftly pull the wool over his eyes. I mean, Harris? Cuckholded? That just doesn't seem right, but I laughed nonetheless.

Glenn is one scary mother. I think would be afraid of him if I ever met him in real life. His features seem so harsh, and then he breaks into a sadistic grin. It's sick.

You know what? I think I'm going to have to give this movie one satisfied head nod. It was funny, not hilarious or hysterical. Just funny.

And I liked that.