A Slipping-Down Life (1999)

Short: Evie Decker's (Lili Taylor) life seems empty between working at Kiddie Arcades amusement park and living with her aging father. She hears Drumstrings Casey (Guy Pearce), a local musician, on the radio one night and believes she has found something with meaning, particularly with the way Drumstrings "speaks out". After carving his name into her forehead during one of his shows, the two find themselves inexplicably drawn together.

I never wanted a film to resolve more in my entire life. I mean that in the best possible way. I was watching, and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I kept thinking, "Things can't end this way! That can't be it!", and so the story would progress.

It was phenomenal. It was like a force of nature . . . but not the powerful hurricane/typhoon kind. It was like the wind.

Does that make sense? I feel like the wind is the most unpredictable element in nature. It can be gentle, reassuring, and welcome one minute then gusting, torrential, and dangerous the next. And always, always, I feel like the wind is trying to tell us something. I'd feel ridiculous telling you this if I didn't actually believe it.

Serious, the wind.

And that's what this film is like. Mostly slow-paced, patient with both the audience and subject matter. Yet, there were occasions when it would pick up, exploding with anger and fury. Those moments are few and far between mind you, which made them all the more unpredictable and powerful.

All of this is a credit to Toni Kalem, in her first offering as a writer-director. In fact, it's her only offering as a director to date, which is such a waste.

I have always thought that Pearce was rather sexy (and sometimes creepy), but I have never seen another film showcase it the way this one has. I had no idea he could sing and watching him up there on the stage makes it impossible to wonder why Evie is drawn to Drum the way she is.

There was something to unique about the two of them, too. Well, not unique but rare. Drum or Evie would act disinterested, and then one of them would betray everything in a single gesture, like when Drum touches a birth mark on Evie's back the first time they meet. So hot.

I realize that I discussed Taylor none too long ago, but she is such a natural talent that I find it difficult to resist her. The beauty of her face, the depth of her voice, the passion of her actions - it's all so immediate.

Man, can Pearce ever sing, though. Pearce, Taylor, and a guitar. That's all I would have needed.