Themes: Hired Killers, Fathers and Sons, Immigrant Life
Main Cast: Tim Roth, Edward Furlong, Moira Kelly, Vanessa Redgrave, Maximilian Schell
Release Year: 1994
Country: US
Run Time: 98 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
A somber portrait of organized crime and family trauma, Little Odessa centers on the trouble caused when hit man Joshua Shapira (Tim Roth) returns to his old neighborhood of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. A hired killer for the Russian Mafia, Joshua is given an assignment in his hometown, where he renews contact with his younger brother Reuben (Edward Furlong) and an old flame (Moira Kelly). But others do not welcome Joshua's return, particularly his harsh, estranged father (Maximillian Schell), who had disowned Joshua years before and currently attempts to keep him from visiting his seriously ill mother (Vanessa Redgrave). The pressure of these family crises combine with Joshua's deepening involvement in the local crime scene, ultimately triggering a bloody confrontation. First-time director James Gray creates a solemn, oppressive atmosphere that emphasizes the already grim nature of his story. The slow pace and familiar crime narrative were attacked by many viewers, contributing to a mixed critical reaction, but Little Odessa nevertheless won admiration for Gray's visual sense and the skilled performance by Roth in the unsympathetic lead role. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
Review
Given its star, aesthetics, and date of release, it may come as no surprise that Little Odessa was nearly relegated to obscurity shortly after its original theatrical run in mid-1994. Those expecting an energetic, Tarantino-style crime film may have recoiled at this broodingly bleak, somber tale of an unfeeling professional killer who returns to his childhood neighborhood in Brighton Beach to perform a job, though those with the patience to give this quietly desperate, introspective gem a chance will find a somber but rewarding tale of moral decay and its repercussions on loved ones. As the killer in question, Tim Roth provides a quiet and expressive low-key performance which richly visualizes his struggle to connect with his family and old flame. His desperation to be understood is off-balanced by an emotional wall of ice he has created in order to effectively carry out his work; Roth's quiet desperation resulting from his inability to communicate with those closest to him provides viewers with a chilly sense of impending doom. As he interacts with his admiring younger brother (an effective performance by the sometimes shrill Edward Furlong) and his hardened love interest, Roth's expressive manner quietly conveys everything that his character can't verbalize. Cinematographer Tom Richmond's muted color scheme externalizes the dank emptiness of his subjects' souls, effectively projecting their despair onto the surroundings they inhabit, and rendering the scenes with Roth's dying mother and conflicted father heart-wrenchingly real. This case should also be made for the punctuated and decidedly non-glamorous violence in the film. A thankful contrast to the flood of stylishly violent crime films that came in the wake of Tarantino's films, Little Odessa's violence is present to serve a purpose, making it all the more effective and horrifying when characters do ultimately succumb to its deceptively seductive and ultimately soul-shredding allure. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Paul Guilfoyle - Boris Volkoff; Natalya Andreichenko - Natasha; David Vadim - Sasha; Mina Bern - Grandma Tsilya; Ron Brice - Man with one leg; David Ross - Anatoly
Credit
Judy Rhee - Art Director, Douglas Abiel - Casting, Douglas Aibel - Casting, Kerry Orent - Co-producer, Michael Clancy - Costume Designer, Steve Apicella - First Assistant Director, James Gray - Director, Dorian Harris - Editor, Nick Wechsler - Executive Producer, Claudia Lewis - Executive Producer, Rolf Mittweg - Executive Producer, Dana Sano - Composer (Music Score), Tom Paul - Musical Direction/Supervision, Kevin Thompson - Production Designer, Tom Richmond - Cinematographer, Christopher Goode - Production Manager, Paul Webster - Producer, Charles Ford - Set Designer, James Gray - Screenwriter
The film follows the personal relationship between a father (Maximilian Schell) and his two sons (Tim Roth and Edward Furlong), one of whom is a hit-man for the Russian mafia in Brooklyn.
