Movies fit for a Michael Pitt festival

Thu, 03/05/2009 - 1:08pm by manz

By chance I happened to watch two films over the weekend starring Michael Pitt. I didn’t even notice he was in these movies, nor did I know his name. First up was Gus Van Sant’s Last Days, which is loosely based on the last days of Kurt Cobain’s life. It follows the last days of rock star Blake, played wonderfully by Pitt. He’s holed up alone, hiding from his friends, and acting strange in his big house in the woods, illustrating how lonely it can be at the top. It is done in typical Van Sant fashion, the dialog is sparse, and you spend the film trying to figure Blake out. It’s quite interesting and disturbing.

Next in the queue was Delirious starring Pitt and Steve Buscemi. I didn’t know what to expect with this one, as I randomly picked it out. But it was quite fun! Buscemi plays Len, a paparazzi photographer, always cranky and forever trying to get the perfect shot. Young pretty boy Toby is homeless and just trying to find a warm place to crash. After he runs into a group of folks trying to get “the shot” of pop singer K’Harma, he ends up making an odd connection to K’Harma and getting involved with Len. The relationships that ensue are murky and charming. The movie is well done with superb acting and never a dull moment.

Next up, on purpose, is The Hawk is Dying.