Blue in the Face

Two things need to be understood, Brooklyn and Wayne Wang. Can those of you who saw Chang is Missing, really pretend that Wayne Wang's films push the envelope? I mean, it's always a bit beyond the cutting edge with WW. A great film maker, he has a great sense of humor and is smart enough to let actors take their heads sometimes. OK. Now, Brooklyn. Forget this crap about "New York," if you know Brooklyn and especially, the OLD Brooklyn of, say, 1956, that last great year of the Dodgers [I was a young Naval officer there in Brooklyn Naval Shipyard that year], then you know there's a HUGE cultural barrier separating NY from there. Now, you're getting warm. OK, when I saw Smoke, I saw a teaser of a sequel. Now, we all know sequels generally suck but Smoke had that extra something that made me want to risk a buck to see Keitel in action again. Well, waited and waited and then, this is on the shelves. It's a GEM! Don't listen to those chumps who don't know squat about WW or Brooklyn and, hey, let me ask you...did you pay to go see that Star Wars Prequel? Sure you did. So don't gripe. This is the great SMOKE PREQUEL! Go Wayne Wang! Up with Brooklyn, old (definitely not new, i.e ., LA) Dodgers, Belgian waffles, and Sexy Puerto Rican girls dialoguing with themselves in the mirror, saying "Ju lik Epanish gorls?" YES!

And then to wonder that this movie was never meant to be made!!Thank god for Wayne Wang that after shooting Smoke(which does not even come close to this little gem)he had some more footage to show to us.The leading performance by Harvey Keitel is outstanding,this man can really act! I already was convinced though after seeing Mean Streets,Taxi Driver,Reservoir Dogs,Pulp Fiction,Bad Lieutenant etc. The other performances aren't bad either.And then the (guest)actors.Names like Madonna,Roseanne,Michael J. Fox,Mira Sorvino and Lou Reed have small parts in this movie.Especially Madonna and Michael J. Fox are very funny.Another great part of the movie are the statistics of Brooklyn(Belgian Waffles?!). Although this movie is always seen as an add-on for Smoke I think that Blue in the Face is far superior to it's older brother and that movie should be more in the spotlights. 10/10

I found 'Blue In The Face' much more enjoyable than 'Smoke': it is funnier and more genuine. Although I must admit that seeing 'Smoke' allowed me to discover Paul Auster's novels, many of which are also set in New York (Personally I would recommend The Invention Of Solitude and Oracle Night). Here are a couple quotes from 'Blue In The Face' that I found hilarious: Lou Reed: Yes, I'm smoking cigarettes and many of my friends have died of it. On the other hand, while I'm smoking cigarettes, I'm not downing a bottle of Scotch in 15 minutes. So looked at from this point of view, it's a health tool. Lou Reed: My childhood was so unpleasant that I don't remember anything I think before age 31.

After filming Smoke, director Wayne Wang and writer Paul Auster (along with most of the crew and cast from that movie) decided to improvise some kind of tribute to the Brooklyn district. So we find the same tobacconist's in the same street-corner, and managed by the same guy (Harvey Keitel). Surrealist reflexions, small talks, and some of the freaks/weirdos that make up the Brooklyn "fauna". Auster and Wang invited to take part in this "hobby" some of their friends, such as Jim Jarmusch, Lou Reed, Roseanne, and Madonna in person. Take it or leave it. I don't think they made this movie with any pretension in particular but to have fun, and improvise. So don't you think you'll find here sort of a masterpiece, nor the biggest script ever, 'cause you won't. It has some acid and lucid sequences, and lots of witty dialogues... and for the non-americans Blue In The Face is such a good way to know about Brooklyn's ways of life and history. That's all. My rate: 7/10

I can see why people might dislike this movie, but I love it. It's a set of improvised scenes and interviews patched together to form a sort of a story. Definitely not an ordinary movie. It takes place in and around the cigar store at the center of the film Smoke. The only character from Smoke is Auggie, the cigar store manager, played by Harvey Keitel. Past that, it has nothing to do with the storyline of Smoke. It is really a love letter to the Park Slope neighborhood in Brooklyn, celebrating all the characters who live there. There are so many great standout hilarious scenes in this film. My favorites are the interviews with musician Lou Reed and indie director Jim Jarmusch, as well as the film about the guy who spends his spare time taking plastic shopping bags out of the trees in Prospect Park. Lots of other funny cameos too - Madonna, Mira Sorvino, Giancarlo Esposito, Michael J. Fox, Roseanne and Malik Yoba. And Auggie's hot mama Puerto Rican girlfriend, played by Mel Gorham, is a riot. I think it is very well executed and should be viewed as a bold, light-hearted experiment. It just looks like the actors are having so much fun, it is hard to resist. Give it a try, preferably as a double-feature with Smoke.

Whenever "Blue in the Face" comes up in conversation, nothing angers me more then hearing it compared to as a sequel to "Smoke." It is clearly not a sequel. When talking about "Goldeneye" you don't refer to it as just another sequel to "Dr. No" in the James Bond series. While "Smoke" was a drama, "Blue in the Face" takes a comical look at those who go in and out of a corner tobacco shop in the heart of Brooklyn. Besides, you can't compare a fully scripted film like "Smoke" to an almost completely improvised approach in "Blue in the Face." Harvey Keitel plays Auggie Wren, the man behind the counter of the Brooklyn Cigar Store, who acts as a homing beacon for some of the most colorful characters in Brooklyn, including a mentally unstable girlfriend, a rapping watch dealer, an owner and his wife having marriage trouble, and so on. The cast also includes Jim Jarmusch, Malik Yoba, Victor Argo, Madonna, Lily Tomlin, Roseanne, Mel Gorham and Mira Sorvino to name a few. The topics covered in this film include Brooklyn, the Dodgers, smoking, eye glasses, lack of communication, relationships, surveys and much more. One of the unique elements of "Blue in the Face" is the use of both the film footage, and interview footage of the actual residents of Brooklyn all tying together. Add on to that little introductions to each section of the film by legendary musician Lou Reed, the film flows through each subject very smoothly. If your in the mood for a great independent film, check out "Blue in the Face" at your local video store. Just be sure not to start comparing it to "Smoke" as you watch it, otherwise you will get less enjoyment out of the film. 9/10

A nice movie, seems to have a subtle but interesting influence by many of the persons appearing: Jim Jarmusch, John Lourie, Madonna, etc. It's funny and has still has some realistic goals. Others say it was terrible; I really don't think so. Maybe it's a kind of "post-modern" movie communicating really serious thoughts and not going into comedy, while seeming not serious at all.

The monologues by Lou Reed, as well as the scene with Harvey Keitel and Jim Jarmusch (preparing to smoke his last cigarette) would be a perfect addition to a "special edition" video release of the terrific "Smoke." Otherwise, this is nothing but a curiosity piece of interest only to the most avid admirers of the earlier film (like me).

This is a great little set piece to celebrate the diversity and chaos that is, among many other things, my home. Brooklyn is the main character of this story and despite the film's limited scope (set mostly around a tobacco store near Windsor Terrace), it manages to really get at that feeling that makes Brooklyn the only place I wanna live. All the people here, whether they're bored by Brooklyn or fascinated by it, are connected by the genuinely weird way we manage to live together, despite our very prominent differences.

Blue in the face might be boring to many because it doesn't follow a standard hollywood paradigm of rising action, climax, resolve. It is more documentary style, although fictitious, and quickly jumps from story to story and character to character. The editing is an interesting component because it successfully brings together disparate themes and characters (who are improvising their lines and stories to some degree). This and some fantastical elements provide a very romanticized view of Brooklyn. Altogether a cohesive piece with some nice performances and some insight into what it is to growup and live in a special loved place.