REEL CRITICS

Actor’s struggle makes ‘Valentine’ worthwhile

When you see a homeless man, what do think? That he’s dirty, a little

scary looking, perhaps talking to himself or just sad? Do you ever wonder

what circumstances brought him to this point in his life, or imagine what

he may have been like in better times?

The point is, as with all people we encounter, you cannot judge by

appearances alone. This is one of the themes of director Kasi Lemmon’s

(“Eve’s Bayou”) unusual new film, “The Caveman’s Valentine,” again

starring the always excellent Samuel L. Jackson.

Jackson plays Romulus “The Caveman” Ledbetter, a familiar face on New

York streets who tells people, “I’m not homeless. I live in a cave.”

Tall, dark, filthy and sporting about 30 pounds of dreadlocks, Romulus is

an imposing figure who can be quite lucid and gentle one moment, and a

ranting wild man the next.

Through artfully done camera work and editing, we get glimpses of

Romulus’ tortured state of mind, his irrational fear of “Y-rays”

emanating from the Chrysler Building, the “moth seraphs” and the voices

that inhabit his mind. This is a man who is aware of his illness and the

pain it has inflicted on his family, and yet does not see a need to seek

help. His imaginary conversations with his estranged wife, Sheila, are

the lone voice of reason in his head.

When he discovers a frozen body outside of his cave on Valentine’s

Day, Romulus is led to believe by the dead boy’s friend that a famous

artist, David Leppenraub (the haughty Colm Feore), murdered him. It is

rumored that Leppenraub tortures and mutilates his models for his art.

Romulus’ daughter, Lulu, a policewoman, quickly dismisses her father’s

ideas on the death as more of his embarrassing delusions.

Defying all logic, the Caveman sets out to investigate the death on

his own. Through a set of improbable circumstances, he is taken in

briefly by a bemused businessman (Anthony Michael Hall) who learns that

Romulus was a brilliant pianist and composer at Juilliard. Given the

opportunity to bathe, shave and put on a new suit, he is suddenly seen as

an attractive, eccentric man to the arty crowd and is invited to meet and

perform for Leppenraub at his studio.

Some of the more amusing scenes occur when Romulus’ strange manners

and insights into Leppenraub’s artwork (not unlike the work of the late

Robert Mapplethorpe) manage to charm everyone in sight, including the

artist’s sister, Moira (Ann Magnuson).

As a thriller, there are many points that defy credibility. How a

destitute person can travel back and forth from the city to upstate New

York so often is never explained, and events leading up to the film’s

climax don’t seem to be very well thought out.

But as a study of a person struggling with his demons, movingly

portrayed by an actor at the top of his game, “The Caveman’s Valentine”

is quite worthwhile. I am glad the filmmakers did not wrap up all the

story lines neatly at the end, for life itself is never tidy.

“The Caveman’s Valentine” is rated R for language, some violence and

sexuality.

* SUSANNE PEREZ, 45, lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant

for a financial services company.

‘The Mexican’ can be counted on for laughs

“The Mexican” is a wild movie ride that borrows elements from many

different film styles. Following in the footsteps of “Get Shorty” and

“Fargo,” it’s an oddball crime thriller, edgy caper movie and character

study full of twists, turns and double crosses.

But producer Lawrence Bender clearly wants to create a lighter weight

version of his groundbreaking “Pulp Fiction” by cutting back on the

violence and adding romantic comedy with big name stars to the mix.

Brad Pitt plays Jerry Wellbach, a bumbling errand boy working part

time for some serious mobsters. Julia Roberts is girlfriend Samantha

Barzel, who is trying to get Jerry out of his current line of work and

into a more serious relationship through therapy and counseling. But

Jerry has to do one last job for the mob: retrieve a legendary pistol

from Mexico that is the object of intense competition.

Murder, kidnap, intrigue, spectacular car chases and a dozen crazy

plot developments follow Jerry’s inept attempts to return the pistol to

his boss and stay alive in the process. Fast-paced editing stirs up the

excitement at several points.

James Gandolfini of “The Sopranos” steals many scenes with his

portrayal of a gay hit man with a sensitive streak who holds Julia’s

character hostage for much of the picture. Their touchy-feely

conversations about love strain credibility, but this is not a

reality-based production.

On top of everything else going on, there is a movie within this

movie, giving the history of the pistol. With all these elements, not

everything works, and there are loose ends left dangling. But this film

is made for laughs, fun and a good time at the movies, not high art.

“The Mexican” may not be as good as the movies it seeks to imitate,

but it will satisfy many fans of this wild genre.

“The Mexican” is rated R for violence and language.

* JOHN DEPKO, 48, is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator

for the Orange County Public Defender’s Office.