Review of Light of Day (1987) by Mark B — 28 Aug 2015
Paul Schrader's film about a a Cleveland bar band doesn't get the director's own praise. He's more interested in films like Mishima than showing the truth of rust belt life. The film itself is workman like, no frills shooting.
Straight forward and rusty. J. Michael Fox plays Joe, the enabler of his talent sister Patti, members of a bad called the barristers. Clearly the bad will only play bars, given the disparity of ages and talents.
Patti aches to be a real rocker and her energy smokes through this film. Why Joan Jett didn't do more films, I'll never know. The Rasnick family is dysfunctional: Gena Rowlands plays a mother in denial of what happened to her family but narcotizing herself with religion, while Jason Miller plays a disinterested and silent father.
Patti has a child by an unknown father, who when revealed clears up some her rage. A lot of critics missed the point of this film, which is the conflict of art with life, and a dismal hopeless life it is.
The heart of his film is when Patti declares "I want to live my life by an idea," meaning she is an artist, which non of her bandmates or family are. I'm surprised, no not surprised that critics missed what she was saying and why.
Not a world historical masterpiece, but a lost film, and one worth seeing.
This review of Light of Day (1987) was written by Mark B on 28 Aug 2015.
Light of Day has generally received mixed reviews.
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