Tanya’s Score: Good*
Rated: 14A
Starring: A bunch of actors who were once upon a time: young, nice-looking, and living.
Plot: Rusty James (Matt Dillon) is a teen thug trying to emulate his older brother (Mickey Rourke) who he considers a legend.
Tanya’s Verdict: Based on the book written by S.E. Hinton, this movie came on the heels of The Outsiders (1983) although it just didn’t fare as well. Artsy-feeling, Rumble Fish is shot in black and white (except for a few key elements) giving it a film noire sort of vibe.
For the most part, I enjoyed the interactions between characters – it was what propelled the plot – although after a while they started to grow tiresome. Camera angles were unusual, the musical score wasn’t typical – definitely adding to the film’s intensity. At times, I felt like I was watching an intimate live performance on stage as opposed to a film – which isn’t a bad thing – just something different.
Once the movie ended, I made two distinct observations: Matt Dillon is an underrated actor. And Rumble Fish is good. But it ain’t no Outsiders.
*Four score descriptions: Sh**; Okay; Good; Great