FLESH AND BONE (1993) - MOVIE REVIEW

Director: Steve Kloves
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, James Caan, Gwyneth Paltrow
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance
Writer: Steve Kloves
Runtime: 126 min
Rated: Rated R for language, some sexuality and a scene of intense violence
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

Fate brings Arlis Sweeny and Kay Davis together and gives them a future, until a figure from the past awakens a memory as deep and dark as a grave: a family history written in cold blood.

Review:

Written and directed by Steve Kloves ("The Fabulous Baker Boys"), "Flesh and Bone" is a slow-burn Western neo-noir psychological drama that you're either going to love, or absolutely loathe. This tale of a troubled soul afflicted by a dark past is short on action, so don't be fooled into thinking it will get your adrenaline going. It's a noir through and through, with all the elements that the genre entails.

The story starts off with a shockingly violent event that becomes the center of all things that are wrong in Arlis' life and the reason he leads a solitary life. Dennis Quaid is perfect in this role, perhaps one of his best. He communicates a lot just through his body language, and when he does talk you can feel the darkness that has a hold on him, hidden just beneath the surface of the carefuly constructed mask of a regular, well-adjusted person. When Arlis meets Kay, he gets a glimpse of how good life can be, but can he outrun his past and break free of his demons ?

Meg Ryan also delivers a riveting performance here as Kay, showing early signs of a promising dramatic career that unfortunately never really too off. Ryan tried to ditch her rom-com image, and this movie shows she had the acting chops to pull it off, but the right projects failed to materialize. Ryan and Quaid were married at the time they shot this movie, and their romance sizzles on-screen. The movie also stars legendary actor James Caan in a pitch-perfect villainous turn that is both chilling and fascinating to watch. Gwyneth Paltrow is a particularly pleasant surprise, delivering a subtly effective performance as a cynical thief, in what was her first major role in a theatrical release.

Also worth mentioning are Philippe Rousselot's beautiful cinematogaphy and Thomas Newman's haunting score. It's great to see a simple story told so effectively, withough trying to manipulate the viewer. Kloves creates real dramatic tension without resorting to unnecessary artifice, even if it can sometimes be perceived as boring. It also doesn't force a Hollywood ending. No loud, violent shootouts, no love conquers all, no cheap sentimentality. Perhaps the script could have used a little more polish, but I feel like it gets the point across well enough.

I personally loved this movie. The pacing sometimes drags, but if you can muster the patience, it's a well crafted, thoughtful drama that will linger in your mind long after it's over.

SCORE: 8/10