Reviews (34)

I saw this in Paris in the 80's, and it just clicked
I was a lonely GI living in Germany in the early 80's and was in Paris for the weekend. A Parisian couple (Great folks, I've NEVER found Parisians to be anything but nice and warm people!) invited me to the film. We saw it near the George Pomp. (I can't spell...) center and it was marvelous. Enough has been analyzed about the film, but to me it struck a personal nerve/note on items of alienation, lonliness, and finally, warmth and acceptance. Screamin' Jay Hawkins "I put a spell on you" fits so well...it was genius to place it (and the boombox, in black and white on a lonely street corner...) in the film. I even bought his albums (that I could find).
Anyway, it's a slow movie, definitely art house, but if you're in a very expat (American) mood, or halfway intelligent, you'll get it. I think it would be interesting if the director did a more updated film on Imigrants. I have a friend who's parents are from Syria, who was brought up in the U.S. He is your typical (OK, well, we're like that) American, and when cousins visit from the Middle East they're in culture shock. I think if Jim J. did something with a Middle Eastern bent it would be interesting.

Mark

Tired of Hollywood Crap??? This is the Remedy.
What a refreshing change of pace this movie is from all those big-budget Hollywood bores. Finally on DVD, Jarmusch's great first flick is available once again to shine for movie lovers everywhere. It's basically just a slice of life piece on three characters: Willie, friend Eddie and Eva (Willie's cousin). Their lives are pretty much going nowhere, so they set out to Cleveland and later Florda to find paradise. But what they discover is that "whatever new place we go to, it all looks the same." There really is no message here, though, it's just a remarkable look into the lives of 3 real characters. Funny, touching and downright engrossing, it's a great little film. The DVD presents the B&W film in widescreen. The only "extra" is some soundless behind-the-scenes footage (in color) shot during filming. There is no trailer...(this is MGM you know).

A Perfect Movie
Maybe THE perfect movie, very funny, very close to the bone & improves immensely with each viewing.

Back when hip meant wise rather than trendy, I would have tagged it the hippest.

Paradise is in the wind
Brilliant deapan humor, slow timely dialog, low budget distinct look, raw though beautiful black and white production and stunning subtle performances by a small well placed cast. When Willie's (Lurie) Hungarian cousin Eva (Balint) comes to stay with him for a few weeks before retreating to Cleveland to stay with her Aunt, we experience, from a fly on the wall perspective, the boring lives of the two unfold. After Willie grows fond of her, he tracks her down in Cleveland along with his buddy Eddie (Edson) in search for something more in their dull existence. The three decide to voyage to Florida to escape the cold and dark environment, only to find similar dullness only in sunnier shades. Brilliant deapan originality and haunting story of three people looking for "Paradise" or any place that doesn't resemble hell. This is the greatest Indie flick ever made.. simple and honest the film's low budget production looks better than most. This one will stay with you and force you to look at our world differently from here on.

slowest film I ever loved
This is not an exciting film. It is a love story -- a platonic love story about an American, played by John Lurie, who "doesn't even consider himself part of [his] family anymore," who is forced by his mother to host a cousin who has just arrived from Europe. He wants nothing to do with her and her treats her [badly]. He's the kind of guy that wants to be cool, never show his emotions, you know the type. He and his best friend occupy themselves by cheating at poker and going to the track. As far as he is concerned, she's about as uncool as it gets. His cousin barely speaks English, and when she speaks she says what she thinks. That's how it starts out. I don't want to tell you the plot so... if you want to see where it goes check it out for yourself. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Impressive Work by Steve Buscemi
Steve Buscemi has long been one of the premiere character actors in the business; his resume reads like a veritable Who's Who of interesting, complex characters who run the gamut from psycho hit-man to regular guy, all of whom he has brought vividly to life in film after film. And whether or not a particular project is a hit or a flop, Buscemi is always good, and can always be counted upon to add that extra something to any given film, as he has in "Trees Lounge," an affecting drama he not only stars in, but with which he makes his debut as a writer/director-- and an impressive debut it is.

Tommy Basilio (Buscemi) is an out-of-work mechanic who lives alone above a bar called Trees Lounge in Long Island, N.Y. He's more than a bit down on his luck; not only did he lose his job, but his pregnant girlfriend of eight years, Theresa (Elizabeth Bracco) recently dumped him for his former boss, Rob (Anthony LaPaglia). He wants to pick himself up and get his life back together, but he doesn't seem to know where to start, and the garages to which he's applied for work aren't exactly knocking his door down to hire him. So he gravitates to the Trees, where he can at least interact with others who seem to be in situations not entirely unlike his own, though at different stages and for different reasons. But they all have one thing in common-- they're people just trying to get through the day; they're trying to get through life. If they can only figure it all out.

With this film, Buscemi proves that he is more than just a talented actor, but rather a true artist in every sense of the word, with his chosen medium being film. He has an eye for detail which complements his insights into human nature and enables him to effectively translate his material to the screen. His characters are finely drawn and complex, and with each and every one he manages to successfully avoid the stereotypes to which a setting like this could easily lend itself (and no doubt would, in lesser hands). Even with the minor characters, he succinctly gives you enough of who they are that it allows you to see beneath the surface and know what makes them tick. And he does it imaginatively-- by filling a room with photographs or items that reflect who a certain person is, for example, or simply by training his camera on someone's face and allowing that extra beat that affords the viewer a telling glimpse of what's hiding behind a character's eyes. Buscemi has an innate sense of knowing how to convey what he's trying to say, and he does it in a million small and different ways that are subtle and incisive. Simply put, he knows what works-- including how to get what he wants out of his actors-- and he presents it all with a pace and timing that are right on the mark.

In Tommy, Buscemi creates a character to whom many will be able to relate and identify on any number of different levels. To say that Tommy is a "loser" would be too much of a simplification, because the character is too complex for that tag alone to be accurate. Tommy is blue-collar, down on his luck, and like so many people in real life, just can't seem to put it all together, can't figure out how "life" is supposed to work. And that's what Buscemi conveys so subtly and so well, and it's the key to the success of this character-- it's what makes Tommy believable and real. Obviously, Buscemi knew exactly what he wanted when he wrote this character, and he puts it across with a brilliant, memorable performance which also demonstrates his ability to star in and carry a movie on his own. Certainly, he has a wonderful supporting cast that gives him plenty of help, but few character actors have ever been able to step into a lead role with such facility and achieve the level of success Buscemi has here. And it's work that deserves to be acknowledged.

There are a number of notable supporting performances in this film, as well, beginning with Mark Boone Junior, who as Mike captures the essence of a guy who is successful, but a loser nonetheless; LaPaglia, who gives a solid performance as Rob; Bracco, with a performance that is introspectively revealing; Debi Mazar, who with very little screen time leaves an indelible impression (and her eyes are absolutely mesmerizing); Kevin Corrigan (another of the finest character actors around), as Matthew; and especially Chloe Sevigny, as Debbie, Theresa's mature-beyond-her-years, seventeen-year-old niece.

Rounding out the ensemble cast are Carol Kane (Connie), Bronson Dudley (Bill), Michael Buscemi (Steve's real life brother, playing Tommy's brother, Raymond), Suzanne Shepherd (Jackie), Rockets Redglare (Stan), Seymour Cassel (Uncle Al), Annette Arnold (Sandy), Michael Imperioli (George), Mimi Rogers (Patty), Daniel Baldwin (Jerry) and Charles Newmark (Puck). An involving story presented with a rich assortment of memorable, convincing characters, "Trees Lounge" is a drama about life-- about the things going on in your own neighborhood, or downtown or two streets over, no matter where you are in the world. Wherever people are, there are situations like the ones depicted in this film, problems that have to be solved and life that has to be lived. And that's what makes this film so good; it gives the audience a chance to connect with, or at least examine, things that anyone anywhere will be able to recognize. It may have taken a collaborative effort to make this one what it is, but in the end, it's Buscemi's film from start to finish, and a satisfying little gem of a movie it is. And that's the magic of the movies.

Funny, sad portrait of a man slipping away
Steve Buscemi is one of our absolute finest character actors, but in Trees Lounge he gets a chance to direct himself in a starring role. The result is an excellent movie that doesn't seem to have gotten the attention it deserves.

Buscemi's character is a loser: he's been fired from his job as a mechanic, his long-time girlfriend left him for his best friend, and he spends much of his time as a regular at the local bar, the Trees Lounge. A loser, to be sure, but also a basically decent guy. A funny guy with a quick wit, living in a dead-end, blue-collar Long Island suburb, surrounded by friends and relatives with little vision beyond their dead-end lives.

We watch as this loser tries to do the right thing, but just can't get it right. At one point, he apparently succumbs to a certain temptation, but when confronted about it, he insists that "nothing happened!". We believe him, we even feel sorry for him, but we also recognize the inveitability of the outcome, for he has squandered whatever goodwill he still had coming to him.

The final scene is haunting in the way it echoes the opening scene. Sometimes funny, usually bittersweet, Trees Lounge is a very good character study. As a portrayal of alcoholism, it also makes a fine, understated companion piece to Barfly, its more famous, self-conscious, and, in my opinion, inferior predecessor.

"The ice cubes are too heavy."
Steve Buscemi wrote, directed and stars in "Trees Lounge" He plays Tommy, an unemployed mechanic who lives above a bar, and in fact he spends most of his waking life in the bar, hanging out with the other regulars. Tommy is a lost soul, but he doesn't seem to grasp that fact. He's about to face the middle-age existence of a total loser, and he doesn't know how he got to that point or how he can get himself out of it. He yearns for his past romance to former girlfriend, Theresa (Elizabeth Bracco) who's now married to Tommy's ex-boss (Anthony LaPaglia.) Tommy doesn't really want Theresa back--it's more that he wants that period of his life back. Tommy's lack of direction put the nail in the coffin for his relationship with Theresa, but now that he's facing his 40s, he really looks pathetic. It's no wonder that only a naive 17-year-old girl falls for his tarnished charm.

The cast is loaded by supporting talent--Carol Kane is the long-suffering bartender at Trees Lounge, and there's Uncle Al (Seymour Cassel). Uncle Al is a great character, and Uncle Al is exactly what Tommy will become--somewhat shady but always guaranteed to be viewed as the amusing family scallywag at all gatherings. When Al dies, Tommy uses Uncle Al's ice cream van and takes his place at the wheel. But even this relatively harmless employment leads Tommy into more trouble. Buscemi is right at home in the role of Tommy. We all know people like Tommy, and Buscemi's wonderful script and superb acting breathes life into a character who could all too easily be played as a stereotype--displacedhuman

Where Everybody Knows Your Name
A BIG little film by writer/director/star Steve Buscemi helped by a healthy cast and witty script, TREES LOUNGE is the indie version of CHEERS to a certain degree. A good character study with Buscemi as Tommy, an umemployed car mechanic dealing with his mistakes( past and present) and drowning his sorrows at a local hole-in-the-wall bar. Buscemi's performance is low key yet full of life as the well-meaning lovable misfit who loses his job, girlfriend, an Uncle and gets involved (innocently platonical) with his 17 year old niece, Debbie (Chloë Sevigny). He puts his life together somewhat as he takes over his dead Uncle's Ice Cream Truck business but trouble abounds as he takes on Debbie as an "assistant". There is an intertwined sideplot with fellow barfly Mike (Mark Boone, Jr.)who has just moved out from the city into the Long Island suburbs with his family. He is a bored furniture moving contractor who has ended up "running his business" from the bar much to the dismay of his wife. Some excellent support roles especially Carol Kane as barmaid Connie and some short but weighty cameos from Mimi Rogers, and Samuel Jackson, Debi Mezar, Anthony LaPaglia,Daniel Baldwin, and Seymore Cassel and some great Long Island location shots makes TREES LOUNGE a fun and interesting movie to watch for its characters as the movie doesn't resolve and sugercoat problems, but somehow gives a good portrait of well meaning but empty lives of an existing population in anywhere U.S.A.

It's as though you climbed into an Edward Hopper painting.
"Trees Lounge" is a well made, dark movie about a man in the suburban NY area played by Steve Buscemi who is deeply alienated and is in the process of falling apart, one of Marx's lumpenproletariat. It's very affecting, and I recommend it highly. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Steve Buscemi, an icon of the independent film world for years, took the opportunity to write, direct, and star in this wistful low-budget gem. He plays Tommy, a Long Island loser who gets tossed from his job as a mechanic for questionable financial antics. He spends his days at a local bar, drinking his life away even as he denies that he's doing any such thing. And when he finally works up the gumption to get a job, he winds up driving an ice-cream truck in his old neighborhood--and getting involved in an inappropriate relationship with his teeny-bopper assistant (Chloe Sevigny), earning the violent enmity of her father (Daniel Baldwin). Low-key in its approach, the film has a sad humor that is both knowing and forgiving, as well as offering one of Buscemi's best performances. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Impressive Work by Steve Buscemi
Steve Buscemi has long been one of the premiere character actors in the business; his resume reads like a veritable Who's Who of interesting, complex characters who run the gamut from psycho hit-man to regular guy, all of whom he has brought vividly to life in film after film. And whether or not a particular project is a hit or a flop, Buscemi is always good, and can always be counted upon to add that extra something to any given film, as he has in "Trees Lounge," an affecting drama he not only stars in, but with which he makes his debut as a writer/director-- and an impressive debut it is.

Tommy Basilio (Buscemi) is an out-of-work mechanic who lives alone above a bar called Trees Lounge in Long Island, N.Y. He's more than a bit down on his luck; not only did he lose his job, but his pregnant girlfriend of eight years, Theresa (Elizabeth Bracco) recently dumped him for his former boss, Rob (Anthony LaPaglia). He wants to pick himself up and get his life back together, but he doesn't seem to know where to start, and the garages to which he's applied for work aren't exactly knocking his door down to hire him. So he gravitates to the Trees, where he can at least interact with others who seem to be in situations not entirely unlike his own, though at different stages and for different reasons. But they all have one thing in common-- they're people just trying to get through the day; they're trying to get through life. If they can only figure it all out.

With this film, Buscemi proves that he is more than just a talented actor, but rather a true artist in every sense of the word, with his chosen medium being film. He has an eye for detail which complements his insights into human nature and enables him to effectively translate his material to the screen. His characters are finely drawn and complex, and with each and every one he manages to successfully avoid the stereotypes to which a setting like this could easily lend itself (and no doubt would, in lesser hands). Even with the minor characters, he succinctly gives you enough of who they are that it allows you to see beneath the surface and know what makes them tick. And he does it imaginatively-- by filling a room with photographs or items that reflect who a certain person is, for example, or simply by training his camera on someone's face and allowing that extra beat that affords the viewer a telling glimpse of what's hiding behind a character's eyes. Buscemi has an innate sense of knowing how to convey what he's trying to say, and he does it in a million small and different ways that are subtle and incisive. Simply put, he knows what works-- including how to get what he wants out of his actors-- and he presents it all with a pace and timing that are right on the mark.

In Tommy, Buscemi creates a character to whom many will be able to relate and identify on any number of different levels. To say that Tommy is a "loser" would be too much of a simplification, because the character is too complex for that tag alone to be accurate. Tommy is blue-collar, down on his luck, and like so many people in real life, just can't seem to put it all together, can't figure out how "life" is supposed to work. And that's what Buscemi conveys so subtly and so well, and it's the key to the success of this character-- it's what makes Tommy believable and real. Obviously, Buscemi knew exactly what he wanted when he wrote this character, and he puts it across with a brilliant, memorable performance which also demonstrates his ability to star in and carry a movie on his own. Certainly, he has a wonderful supporting cast that gives him plenty of help, but few character actors have ever been able to step into a lead role with such facility and achieve the level of success Buscemi has here. And it's work that deserves to be acknowledged.

There are a number of notable supporting performances in this film, as well, beginning with Mark Boone Junior, who as Mike captures the essence of a guy who is successful, but a loser nonetheless; LaPaglia, who gives a solid performance as Rob; Bracco, with a performance that is introspectively revealing; Debi Mazar, who with very little screen time leaves an indelible impression (and her eyes are absolutely mesmerizing); Kevin Corrigan (another of the finest character actors around), as Matthew; and especially Chloe Sevigny, as Debbie, Theresa's mature-beyond-her-years, seventeen-year-old niece.

Rounding out the ensemble cast are Carol Kane (Connie), Bronson Dudley (Bill), Michael Buscemi (Steve's real life brother, playing Tommy's brother, Raymond), Suzanne Shepherd (Jackie), Rockets Redglare (Stan), Seymour Cassel (Uncle Al), Annette Arnold (Sandy), Michael Imperioli (George), Mimi Rogers (Patty), Daniel Baldwin (Jerry) and Charles Newmark (Puck). An involving story presented with a rich assortment of memorable, convincing characters, "Trees Lounge" is a drama about life-- about the things going on in your own neighborhood, or downtown or two streets over, no matter where you are in the world. Wherever people are, there are situations like the ones depicted in this film, problems that have to be solved and life that has to be lived. And that's what makes this film so good; it gives the audience a chance to connect with, or at least examine, things that anyone anywhere will be able to recognize. It may have taken a collaborative effort to make this one what it is, but in the end, it's Buscemi's film from start to finish, and a satisfying little gem of a movie it is. And that's the magic of the movies.

Funny, sad portrait of a man slipping away
Steve Buscemi is one of our absolute finest character actors, but in Trees Lounge he gets a chance to direct himself in a starring role. The result is an excellent movie that doesn't seem to have gotten the attention it deserves.

Buscemi's character is a loser: he's been fired from his job as a mechanic, his long-time girlfriend left him for his best friend, and he spends much of his time as a regular at the local bar, the Trees Lounge. A loser, to be sure, but also a basically decent guy. A funny guy with a quick wit, living in a dead-end, blue-collar Long Island suburb, surrounded by friends and relatives with little vision beyond their dead-end lives.

We watch as this loser tries to do the right thing, but just can't get it right. At one point, he apparently succumbs to a certain temptation, but when confronted about it, he insists that "nothing happened!". We believe him, we even feel sorry for him, but we also recognize the inveitability of the outcome, for he has squandered whatever goodwill he still had coming to him.

The final scene is haunting in the way it echoes the opening scene. Sometimes funny, usually bittersweet, Trees Lounge is a very good character study. As a portrayal of alcoholism, it also makes a fine, understated companion piece to Barfly, its more famous, self-conscious, and, in my opinion, inferior predecessor.

"The ice cubes are too heavy."
Steve Buscemi wrote, directed and stars in "Trees Lounge" He plays Tommy, an unemployed mechanic who lives above a bar, and in fact he spends most of his waking life in the bar, hanging out with the other regulars. Tommy is a lost soul, but he doesn't seem to grasp that fact. He's about to face the middle-age existence of a total loser, and he doesn't know how he got to that point or how he can get himself out of it. He yearns for his past romance to former girlfriend, Theresa (Elizabeth Bracco) who's now married to Tommy's ex-boss (Anthony LaPaglia.) Tommy doesn't really want Theresa back--it's more that he wants that period of his life back. Tommy's lack of direction put the nail in the coffin for his relationship with Theresa, but now that he's facing his 40s, he really looks pathetic. It's no wonder that only a naive 17-year-old girl falls for his tarnished charm.

The cast is loaded by supporting talent--Carol Kane is the long-suffering bartender at Trees Lounge, and there's Uncle Al (Seymour Cassel). Uncle Al is a great character, and Uncle Al is exactly what Tommy will become--somewhat shady but always guaranteed to be viewed as the amusing family scallywag at all gatherings. When Al dies, Tommy uses Uncle Al's ice cream van and takes his place at the wheel. But even this relatively harmless employment leads Tommy into more trouble. Buscemi is right at home in the role of Tommy. We all know people like Tommy, and Buscemi's wonderful script and superb acting breathes life into a character who could all too easily be played as a stereotype--displacedhuman

Where Everybody Knows Your Name
A BIG little film by writer/director/star Steve Buscemi helped by a healthy cast and witty script, TREES LOUNGE is the indie version of CHEERS to a certain degree. A good character study with Buscemi as Tommy, an umemployed car mechanic dealing with his mistakes( past and present) and drowning his sorrows at a local hole-in-the-wall bar. Buscemi's performance is low key yet full of life as the well-meaning lovable misfit who loses his job, girlfriend, an Uncle and gets involved (innocently platonical) with his 17 year old niece, Debbie (Chloë Sevigny). He puts his life together somewhat as he takes over his dead Uncle's Ice Cream Truck business but trouble abounds as he takes on Debbie as an "assistant". There is an intertwined sideplot with fellow barfly Mike (Mark Boone, Jr.)who has just moved out from the city into the Long Island suburbs with his family. He is a bored furniture moving contractor who has ended up "running his business" from the bar much to the dismay of his wife. Some excellent support roles especially Carol Kane as barmaid Connie and some short but weighty cameos from Mimi Rogers, and Samuel Jackson, Debi Mezar, Anthony LaPaglia,Daniel Baldwin, and Seymore Cassel and some great Long Island location shots makes TREES LOUNGE a fun and interesting movie to watch for its characters as the movie doesn't resolve and sugercoat problems, but somehow gives a good portrait of well meaning but empty lives of an existing population in anywhere U.S.A.

It's as though you climbed into an Edward Hopper painting.
"Trees Lounge" is a well made, dark movie about a man in the suburban NY area played by Steve Buscemi who is deeply alienated and is in the process of falling apart, one of Marx's lumpenproletariat. It's very affecting, and I recommend it highly. ... Read more