Edward Norton shows up in a role reminiscent of his Primal Fear career-starter in David Jacobson's indie Cannes pick Down in the Valley.
Down in the Valley got my attention with two points: Edward Norton and Edward Norton playing "a delusional man who believes he's a cowboy." If you're a fan of Primal Fear or Fight Club, you understand.
Written and directed by David Jacobson (Criminal, Dahmer), this is a solid story built for Norton's bad-boy-behind-the-baby-face appeal. You'll flashback to Aaron Stampler stuttering his innocence to Richard Gere, but only for a moment. Here he's Harlan Fairfax Carruthers - a cowboy hat wearing dude who hates cars and works at a gas station.
The Plot (Mild Spoiler Warning)
Set in present-day San Fernando Valley, Down in the Valley is the story of a man running away from his past - running all the way to the Old West. But when he falls in love with almost-too-young, Tobe (Evan Rachel Wood), he's yanked back to reality and the modern world with tragic consequences.
While the script makes room for supporting characters, production focuses on Harlan. Enrique Chediak's camera work captures our modern world eating away at Harlan's Old West with wide shots of an over-populated California Valley and it's tumbleweed foothills. And a memorable shot of Harlan and Tobe alone in a never-ending ocean tells us all we need to know about why these two have fallen for each other. Peter Salett's music is campfire friendly, while beautifully taking us into Harlan's dissonant insanity.
But Jacobson's script is the star here. Harlan is peeled away layer-by-layer, taking us from the easygoing, polite cowboy to the tragic, pathetically troubled man on the run. Supporting roles are there for Harlan's story, from Tobe being more someone who loves him rather than someone he loves, to Tobe's father, Wade (David Morse) as the ironfisted gatekeeper to Harlan's fantasy cowboy world, to Tobe's brother, Lonnie (Rory Culkin) as Harlan's reminder of himself before everything went so wrong. Some of this threatens to be too convenient, but Jacobson manages to pull back in time.
Norton is Oscar-nod worthy in Harlan's insanity (you'll think of DeNiro's Travis Bickle), with a funny and troubling spaghetti western role-playing scene where he playacts getting shot - his dying words make us love this character as much as Tobe does: "All over a few lumps of ore. I guess that's the human folly."
Down in the Valley is a film to listen to as much as one to see. You'll have plenty to talk about, so go for pizza and wine after.
Extras:
- Listen for standout Mazzy Star tracks
- Edward Norton will be directing and starring in Motherless Brooklyn, which he adapted from Jonathan Lethem's novel
