Matthew Lillard did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Steven "Stevo" Levy in SLC Punk!.
SLC Punk! depicts a very specific underground culture of punk in the 80's within Salt Lake City limits.
Matthew Lillard who perhaps is an actor very much connected to the 90's for his work in films like Scream and She's All That, is given the starring role here in a role that very much seems ideal for his sort of live wire presence, however here accentuated as a punk anarchist who is raging against the system...kind of. The film is very much Goodfellas for the punk anarchists of the 1980's in Salt Lake City, so about as highly specific as a retrospective as it can be, but as such we are granted this guide into this specific world as offered by Matthew Lillard as Stevo. A performance that literally begins with narration, and a narration that is far flung from a common narration. Lillard doesn't deliver his narration as kind of a formal recollection but almost just some dude you ran into at a party who just happens to be telling you the funny stories of his life. And Lillard excels with this approach as there's such a casual honesty to his performance where he's just like "yeah and there was this guy" in a way that totally works. It is very connected, but still commentary in a rather brilliant way, where Lillard manages to be of the moment, while also commenting on the past at the same time. Often times the narrator version can seem somewhat a different man than we see in the present, which Lillard almost is, as he is the guide of the man recollecting it all in loving detail, that isn't nostalgic though, rather just inviting in letting you get to know all the bits and pieces in his own particular way. His own particular way that truly infuses every fourth wall break and bit with such a tremendous specific energy that just totally works in kind of exuding the punk energy that Lillard's Stevo claims he believes so strongly in.
It is fun to follow Lillard whether it be in the narration or a 4th wall break, each time Steve wants to capture his particular mood as he saw the situation when he saw it and tell you it like it was. And what this does is make an unreliable narrator though in a very particular way that speaks to his unreliable nature though not in the obvious, I'm purposefully lying and more so, I'm giving you my very specific perspective. Part of the narration is just telling you different insights into his extremely specific punk manifesto of anarchy that he tries to describe to the best of his ability, which in itself is a bit of a grey area. I think a great choice by Lillard is the way he seems best at telling you exactly what punk isn't and being so specifically vicious passionate about noting the phonies, such as people pretending to have English accents and being punk. The sheer disgust that Lillard brings as he speaks to this phenomenon is just absolutely ideal and completely wonderful, as it denotes that Stevo really doesn't like them because he wouldn't want to be associated with them. As funny enough, the people Stevo sometimes fights, such as skinheads and rednecks, the take down, while still a take down, isn't passionate in quite the same way. Whether it is this certain kind of creed of "we just hate them", and there is no further articulation that truly shows some sort of world breaking wisdom, rather it is just taking down the idea of rule making without exactly all that much extra sense to it. Lillard makes it a touch thin, but in a way that speaks to Stevo's own belief rather pointentedly as it is a rage of sorts against the machine, yet when he is speaking about that exact rage is probably when Stevo struggles the most to be too specific.
As well as Lillard works as the narrating Stevo there is plenty to his work as the blue haired Stevo going to various parties, rock concerts and hanging out with the various fringe people he comes across, most often his best friend/roommate Heroin Bob (who doesn't use heroin) (Michael Goorjian). We are chronologically shown Stevo when he is talking with his divorced parents in a scene that is pure Lillard in a way that is absolutely fantastic, where Stevo has an even more over the top mohawk and is dressed with even more flamboyant clothing, as they try to talk about their future. And I'd say just to see great acting, watch Lillard in the scene when his dad is talking to him about his prospects as a man, while simultaneously encouraging and discouraging his lifestyle choices. Lillard is hilarious as he mocks their points with every little over the top gesture of reacting as though he's really taking it all in just as he's really diminishing just about everything that they say with the big not so earnest grin on his face. Leading up to him unloading on everything that makes themselves hypocritical, which I think is key to Lillard's performance, and really the film, because they both take the harder route. Because it would be easy to say Stevo is simply right or wrong in his punk life, but here it makes it a more complicated experience, where he has reasons but he also is doing it for the sake of it. And Lillard thrives by avoiding the simplicity, because he does unleash with much passion in articulating all their personal failures, however the way Lillard reacts subtle within the passion to saying their divorced, or moved to Utah, he shows a much more petulant, though honest frustration of a boy just frustrated by the flaws of his parents and not a champion for anarchy.
In his world, Lillard is very effective in being this guide and in turn being a pseudo straight-man, a difficult balance to pull off when you're Matthew Lillard and donning blue spiky hair, but I'll say without exception he does pull it off. As again we see partly "when asked" we see the passion of the punk, which Lillard unloads with that very specific venting ferocity that shows some idea of what kind of fuels the guy, but when just interacting in the world, he naturally undercuts that purposefully by just kind of existing in it for just the general thrill of it giving him some kind of purpose. When reacting to their various characters, including an older rich German man who is a bit paranoid, Lillard does bring a surprising down to earth quality, as he mixes between moments of genuine concern, if not nearly horror, such as when the German shoots at Bob's head with a gun due to a random suspicion of his, but also often "I love how crazy this is" type reaction of the young man looking just to get his random thrills in life, and just loving the anarchy of it all....well kind of. Such as when we see Stevo interact with another woman on the scene, and part of it is we get that full bodied embrace of the lifestyle when they trip acid together, and Lillard presents the randomness of the insanity with the essential thrill behind. However again this is undercut later on when, despite their "open" agreement, he flips out when seeing her have sex with some guy at a party. And Lillard is the straight man suddenly, despite the intense reaction, though by showing a very baseline natural reaction, albeit the reaction of someone who very much exists in a system of rules, despite his claims to the contrary. Lillard manages to really punctuate every scene so well though by offering that bit of convincing reaction or by offering his bit of spice in bringing that sharp energy.
And I would say this was a very good performance by Matthew Lillard, the ideal role for the ideal actor type of thing, where the two elements just matched up in the right way at the right time. However, Lillard goes beyond that in two scenes near the end of the film. The first is near a breaking point, as many fade from the punk scene and Stevo has a chance meeting with the party's host Brandy (Summer Phoenix) that before we meet her, Stevo informs us that he will marry us someday. With that setup the actors must deliver, and they absolutely do. Phoenix and Lillard's chemistry is amazing, though in a very modest yet utterly convincing way in the way you instantly see this sort of cut through the nonsense in just the way they look and speak so differently with one another. Something that is then reinforced as Brandy challenges Stevo on his punk aesthetic which she points out is hardly a fundamental belief and more of just a fashion statement. Lillard is great in the way you see Stevo completely lose his usual energy and genuinely just being fascinated by her very direct, yet calmly stated thoughts. Lillard shows a young man who no longer is looking at life as something for laughs or to be torn down, but rather something completely genuine. Lillard gets so meek suddenly it is remarkable, and it shows how much of an impact this meeting has both in sort of cracking his facade of the fade, but also in seeing something meaningful in this relationship. But, that party ends with Bob having a freak-out after a long night of drinking and being given a secret percodan. Before that it should be noted that Lillard and Goorjian have great chemistry here as well, in just their ease together that suggests the long friendship of two guys who just are this pair, not much needs to said of their friendship, but their friendship is just an innate understanding, something you feel but don't fully understand until the pivotal scene where Bob from the combination of percodan and alcohol, lead to his death, which Stevo discovers the next morning. Lillard is outstanding as he casually discovers Bob's corpse, his portrayal first as just this slow realization, that is of disbelief, then this way he cradles himself as a child, as the truth dawns on him, and emotion begins to find itself. Lillard shows Stevo trying to almost deny it in his mind, denying the sadness, before he checks his pulse and pulls back from it as a horor. Then lashing out at his friend, trying to inspire "I don't care" energy, but falling completely in just heart wrenching grief, as he falls completely apart, and Lillard is devastating in showing a man having lost something that absolutely shows the meaning of this life, while also forcing this sudden maturity of the man, as he says wasn't "ready for". It is a truly great scene by the honesty of Lillard's performance that goes beyond the loss of the friendship, but also the loss of this whole chapter, whole view of life, as he's forced to face reality so brutally. We see this in the final sequences, while still telling the story to us at that party, which contrasts to what we see silently of Lillard, now with his hair shaved, and suited up ready to be a lawyer. Where he explains himself, still in his way of continuing the chaos as part of the system, while it now being an obvious lie, to the man we see before us who could be any law abiding citizen, and Lillard's expression is perfection, as you see the heartbreak of his loss, the sort of rigged change of the man to lose the chaos, but also just that faintest spark of chaos just on the edge of his final slight grin. This is a great performance by Matthew Lillard, as he brings the ideal energy to every part of the material, finding the style of it, finding the humor in it, finding the humanity in it and creating a dynamic portrait of man discovering the truth about himself, even if he might not admit it himself.
Matthew Lillard who perhaps is an actor very much connected to the 90's for his work in films like Scream and She's All That, is given the starring role here in a role that very much seems ideal for his sort of live wire presence, however here accentuated as a punk anarchist who is raging against the system...kind of. The film is very much Goodfellas for the punk anarchists of the 1980's in Salt Lake City, so about as highly specific as a retrospective as it can be, but as such we are granted this guide into this specific world as offered by Matthew Lillard as Stevo. A performance that literally begins with narration, and a narration that is far flung from a common narration. Lillard doesn't deliver his narration as kind of a formal recollection but almost just some dude you ran into at a party who just happens to be telling you the funny stories of his life. And Lillard excels with this approach as there's such a casual honesty to his performance where he's just like "yeah and there was this guy" in a way that totally works. It is very connected, but still commentary in a rather brilliant way, where Lillard manages to be of the moment, while also commenting on the past at the same time. Often times the narrator version can seem somewhat a different man than we see in the present, which Lillard almost is, as he is the guide of the man recollecting it all in loving detail, that isn't nostalgic though, rather just inviting in letting you get to know all the bits and pieces in his own particular way. His own particular way that truly infuses every fourth wall break and bit with such a tremendous specific energy that just totally works in kind of exuding the punk energy that Lillard's Stevo claims he believes so strongly in.
It is fun to follow Lillard whether it be in the narration or a 4th wall break, each time Steve wants to capture his particular mood as he saw the situation when he saw it and tell you it like it was. And what this does is make an unreliable narrator though in a very particular way that speaks to his unreliable nature though not in the obvious, I'm purposefully lying and more so, I'm giving you my very specific perspective. Part of the narration is just telling you different insights into his extremely specific punk manifesto of anarchy that he tries to describe to the best of his ability, which in itself is a bit of a grey area. I think a great choice by Lillard is the way he seems best at telling you exactly what punk isn't and being so specifically vicious passionate about noting the phonies, such as people pretending to have English accents and being punk. The sheer disgust that Lillard brings as he speaks to this phenomenon is just absolutely ideal and completely wonderful, as it denotes that Stevo really doesn't like them because he wouldn't want to be associated with them. As funny enough, the people Stevo sometimes fights, such as skinheads and rednecks, the take down, while still a take down, isn't passionate in quite the same way. Whether it is this certain kind of creed of "we just hate them", and there is no further articulation that truly shows some sort of world breaking wisdom, rather it is just taking down the idea of rule making without exactly all that much extra sense to it. Lillard makes it a touch thin, but in a way that speaks to Stevo's own belief rather pointentedly as it is a rage of sorts against the machine, yet when he is speaking about that exact rage is probably when Stevo struggles the most to be too specific.
As well as Lillard works as the narrating Stevo there is plenty to his work as the blue haired Stevo going to various parties, rock concerts and hanging out with the various fringe people he comes across, most often his best friend/roommate Heroin Bob (who doesn't use heroin) (Michael Goorjian). We are chronologically shown Stevo when he is talking with his divorced parents in a scene that is pure Lillard in a way that is absolutely fantastic, where Stevo has an even more over the top mohawk and is dressed with even more flamboyant clothing, as they try to talk about their future. And I'd say just to see great acting, watch Lillard in the scene when his dad is talking to him about his prospects as a man, while simultaneously encouraging and discouraging his lifestyle choices. Lillard is hilarious as he mocks their points with every little over the top gesture of reacting as though he's really taking it all in just as he's really diminishing just about everything that they say with the big not so earnest grin on his face. Leading up to him unloading on everything that makes themselves hypocritical, which I think is key to Lillard's performance, and really the film, because they both take the harder route. Because it would be easy to say Stevo is simply right or wrong in his punk life, but here it makes it a more complicated experience, where he has reasons but he also is doing it for the sake of it. And Lillard thrives by avoiding the simplicity, because he does unleash with much passion in articulating all their personal failures, however the way Lillard reacts subtle within the passion to saying their divorced, or moved to Utah, he shows a much more petulant, though honest frustration of a boy just frustrated by the flaws of his parents and not a champion for anarchy.
In his world, Lillard is very effective in being this guide and in turn being a pseudo straight-man, a difficult balance to pull off when you're Matthew Lillard and donning blue spiky hair, but I'll say without exception he does pull it off. As again we see partly "when asked" we see the passion of the punk, which Lillard unloads with that very specific venting ferocity that shows some idea of what kind of fuels the guy, but when just interacting in the world, he naturally undercuts that purposefully by just kind of existing in it for just the general thrill of it giving him some kind of purpose. When reacting to their various characters, including an older rich German man who is a bit paranoid, Lillard does bring a surprising down to earth quality, as he mixes between moments of genuine concern, if not nearly horror, such as when the German shoots at Bob's head with a gun due to a random suspicion of his, but also often "I love how crazy this is" type reaction of the young man looking just to get his random thrills in life, and just loving the anarchy of it all....well kind of. Such as when we see Stevo interact with another woman on the scene, and part of it is we get that full bodied embrace of the lifestyle when they trip acid together, and Lillard presents the randomness of the insanity with the essential thrill behind. However again this is undercut later on when, despite their "open" agreement, he flips out when seeing her have sex with some guy at a party. And Lillard is the straight man suddenly, despite the intense reaction, though by showing a very baseline natural reaction, albeit the reaction of someone who very much exists in a system of rules, despite his claims to the contrary. Lillard manages to really punctuate every scene so well though by offering that bit of convincing reaction or by offering his bit of spice in bringing that sharp energy.
And I would say this was a very good performance by Matthew Lillard, the ideal role for the ideal actor type of thing, where the two elements just matched up in the right way at the right time. However, Lillard goes beyond that in two scenes near the end of the film. The first is near a breaking point, as many fade from the punk scene and Stevo has a chance meeting with the party's host Brandy (Summer Phoenix) that before we meet her, Stevo informs us that he will marry us someday. With that setup the actors must deliver, and they absolutely do. Phoenix and Lillard's chemistry is amazing, though in a very modest yet utterly convincing way in the way you instantly see this sort of cut through the nonsense in just the way they look and speak so differently with one another. Something that is then reinforced as Brandy challenges Stevo on his punk aesthetic which she points out is hardly a fundamental belief and more of just a fashion statement. Lillard is great in the way you see Stevo completely lose his usual energy and genuinely just being fascinated by her very direct, yet calmly stated thoughts. Lillard shows a young man who no longer is looking at life as something for laughs or to be torn down, but rather something completely genuine. Lillard gets so meek suddenly it is remarkable, and it shows how much of an impact this meeting has both in sort of cracking his facade of the fade, but also in seeing something meaningful in this relationship. But, that party ends with Bob having a freak-out after a long night of drinking and being given a secret percodan. Before that it should be noted that Lillard and Goorjian have great chemistry here as well, in just their ease together that suggests the long friendship of two guys who just are this pair, not much needs to said of their friendship, but their friendship is just an innate understanding, something you feel but don't fully understand until the pivotal scene where Bob from the combination of percodan and alcohol, lead to his death, which Stevo discovers the next morning. Lillard is outstanding as he casually discovers Bob's corpse, his portrayal first as just this slow realization, that is of disbelief, then this way he cradles himself as a child, as the truth dawns on him, and emotion begins to find itself. Lillard shows Stevo trying to almost deny it in his mind, denying the sadness, before he checks his pulse and pulls back from it as a horor. Then lashing out at his friend, trying to inspire "I don't care" energy, but falling completely in just heart wrenching grief, as he falls completely apart, and Lillard is devastating in showing a man having lost something that absolutely shows the meaning of this life, while also forcing this sudden maturity of the man, as he says wasn't "ready for". It is a truly great scene by the honesty of Lillard's performance that goes beyond the loss of the friendship, but also the loss of this whole chapter, whole view of life, as he's forced to face reality so brutally. We see this in the final sequences, while still telling the story to us at that party, which contrasts to what we see silently of Lillard, now with his hair shaved, and suited up ready to be a lawyer. Where he explains himself, still in his way of continuing the chaos as part of the system, while it now being an obvious lie, to the man we see before us who could be any law abiding citizen, and Lillard's expression is perfection, as you see the heartbreak of his loss, the sort of rigged change of the man to lose the chaos, but also just that faintest spark of chaos just on the edge of his final slight grin. This is a great performance by Matthew Lillard, as he brings the ideal energy to every part of the material, finding the style of it, finding the humor in it, finding the humanity in it and creating a dynamic portrait of man discovering the truth about himself, even if he might not admit it himself.
9 comments:
Thank heavens we have a five. :) Well done Shaggy.
Louis: Ratings and thoughts on the cast.
SHAGGY!
Kind of a nice way to end this year.
We got Shaggy Rogers getting a 5 before GTA 6...
In all seriousness, this is an outstanding performance, in every single way. Nonsensical narration has never been done better, and he is truly devastating in the third act.
THAT'S MY BOY!
I'm very very very proud.
PS: I take back that scolding I gave you in Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Yeah, I needed this review badly after Lillard's certain live-action performance from last year. The more I thought about it, the more his performance as Stevo kept growing on me since I first saw this film.
Luke:
Goorjian - 4(Again strong chemistry with Lillard, while offering his own position in their friendship and world with his own combination between occasionally down to earth and sometimes off-beat. Although his character very specifically involved with his specific phobias and when he's been drinking. He brings a natural sort of sudden intensity of someone who doesn't quite know what he's doing but can suddenly so strongly believe it. Outside of that he nicely balances it though with more down to earth moments when he's not the freaking out.)
Segel - 3(Surprised to see him however I think he's effective enough in his character's sort of quiet nerdy intensity.)
Gish, Lien, Sawa, Psacal, Duval - 3(All effective in their bits in bringing a certain flavor to fill out the world rather nicely.)
McDonald - 3.5(Found his bits to be pretty hilarious in bringing this not quite stern dad, but almost a dad who is just wanting to yell yet wants to be enlightened and portrays that struggle most humorously.)
Schweiger 4(The best of the random people in bringing a completely surprising energy to the film where he manages to be funny while being also menacing. Creating a sense of danger even as there is this sadness in his overt eagerness at the same time and is all over the place, while also very specifically intense in a way that wholly works.)
Robert's going to be happy about this one, I'm sure.
As for myself...I haven't seen the film, but I know Louis' previous takes on Lillard haven't been too charitable. So I must say this rating and description of his performance is at once surprising, intriguing and satisfying.
Also, personal side note...I do count myself among the people proclaiming Lillard to be the perfect live action Shaggy. Not exactly an actors showcase, but it's something.
Mitchell:
Didn't ever come up but I actually really liked him in Twin Peaks, think he's good as Shaggy in a terrible film, and he's one of the few non-wretched things in The Descendants.
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