Buffalo '66

Buffalo '66
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Vincent Gallo
Produced by	Chris Hanley
Screenplay by	Vincent Gallo Alison Bagnall
Story by	Vincent Gallo
Starring	Vincent Gallo Christina Ricci Ben Gazzara Mickey Rourke Rosanna Arquette Jan-Michael Vincent Anjelica Huston
Music by	Vincent Gallo
Cinematography	Lance Acord
Edited by	Curtiss Clayton
Production company	Cinépix Film Properties Muse Productions
Distributed by	Lions Gate Films
Release dates	June 26, 1998 (1998-06-26)
Running time	120 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1.5 million
Box office	$2.4 million

Buffalo '66 is a 1998 comedy-drama film that is writer-director Vincent Gallo's full-length motion picture debut. Vincent Gallo and Christina Ricci star in the lead roles and the supporting cast includes Mickey Rourke, Rosanna Arquette, Ben Gazzara, and Anjelica Huston. Gallo also composed and performed much of the music for the film.

The film received critical acclaim and Empire listed it as the 36th-greatest independent film ever made. It was filmed in and around Gallo's native Buffalo, New York in winter. The film makes extensive use of British progressive rock music in its soundtrack, notably King Crimson and Yes.

Plot

Having just served five years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Billy Brown (Vincent Gallo) kidnaps a young tap dancer named Layla (Christina Ricci) and forces her to pretend to be his wife. Layla allows herself to be kidnapped and it is clear she is romantically attracted to Billy from the start, but Billy all the while is compelled to deal with his own demons, his loneliness and his depression.

The subplot of Billy seeking revenge on the man indirectly responsible for his imprisonment, Scott Wood, is a reference to a former Buffalo Bills kicker, Scott Norwood, who missed the game-winning field goal in Super Bowl XXV against the New York Giants in 1991.

Cast

• Vincent Gallo (John Sansone, young) as Billy Brown
• Christina Ricci as Layla
• Anjelica Huston as Jan Brown
• Ben Gazzara as Jimmy Brown
• Kevin Corrigan as Goon
• Mickey Rourke as The Bookie
• Rosanna Arquette as Wendy Balsam
• Jan-Michael Vincent as Sonny
• Kevin Pollak and Alex Karras as TV sportcasters
• John Rummel as Don Shanks
• Bob Wahl as Scott Wood
• Penny Wolfgang as The Judge
• Carl Marchi as Cafe Owner

Production

Gallo had difficulties working with his cast and crew. Gallo and Christina Ricci reportedly did not get along on the set. He called her a "puppet" who did what she was told. Ricci vowed to never work with Gallo again. She also resented the comments he made about her weight three or four years after filming. Anjelica Huston also did not get along with him, and Gallo claimed Huston caused the film to be turned down by the Cannes Film Festival. It was director Stéphane Sednaoui that suggested to Gallo to use cinematographer Lance Acord. Although Acord was widely credited with the film's distinct visual style Gallo has claimed credit for designing most of the film's cinematography. He also publicly disparaged Acord, saying "This guy had no ideas, no conceptual ideas, no aesthetic point of view." Kevin Corrigan also didn't get along with Gallo. He was so unconvinced by his performance in the film that he asked not to be credited.

Reception

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 78% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 41 reviews; the average rating is 7.1/10. At Metacritic it has a rating score of 68 (19 critics), indicating "generally favorable reviews".

External links

• Buffalo ’66 at IMDb
• Buffalo '66 at AllMovie
• Buffalo '66 at Box Office Mojo
• Buffalo '66 at Metacritic
• Buffalo '66 at Rotten Tomatoes
• Buffalo '66 at ČSFD
• Entry for the film in the book New Cinematographers