Big Picture Big Sound

Roman Underplay

Willem Dafoe has had a wonderful career as an actor. He's been in some big-budget projects, but primarily has been featured in smaller ones. Whatever he's in, there's a good chance you'll notice him.

I first became aware of him in his brilliant performance in 1987's "Platoon", which garnered him his first of four Oscar nominations.  In "Tomasso", Dafoe is working with director Abel Ferrara for the fifth time. Their sixth collaboration is scheduled for release later this year.

This film is Abel Ferrara's semi-autobiographical tale, which takes place in Rome. Tomasso (Dafoe) is an American filmmaker who hasn't produced a film in a long time. Instead, he teaches acting classes for a living, but it's not his working life that dominates "Tomasso."

Most of the film is spent following Tomasso around in his daily life, which includes Nikki (Cristina Chiriac,) his much younger wife, played here by Ferrara's real wife. They have a three-year-old daughter, just like in Ferrara's real life. To add to this loose autobiography, scenes in their apartment were filmed in the actual home of Barrera's real family.

Tomasso spends his days studying Italian, shopping at the local markets, and attending meetings where he regales the attendees with stories of when he was hooked on booze, pot, coke, heroin, and other drugs. What stands out is how happy Tomasso seems to be. He adores his wife and daughter and is content with everything else about his life.

Of course, conflict eventually arrives, but by then I had lost a little interest in the story. "Tomasso" is pleasant enough, but really not much more than that. It has a pretty shocking ending, but there wasn't all that much buildup of tension, so even though it ends jarringly, by then I didn't care that much.