Product: Jesus' Son [VHS]
Rating: 4.0
Knife in the head = a stabbing headache
As "Jesus' Son" began, I braced myself for yet one more depressing character study of low-life, substance-addicted losers a la "Panic In Needle Park", "Barfly", "Sid and Nancy" or "(insert name of your favorite Gus van Sant film here)". However,as the movie unfolded I realized that I was watching the kind of subtle yet picaresque tale that has been MIA in American cinema since the 70's..."Scarecrow", "Two-Lane Blacktop", "Rancho Deluxe", etc. The chameleon-like Billy Crudup scores as the chronically underachieving antihero, delivering his first-person voiceover in a non-linear "verite" style. Samantha Morton ("Sweet & Lowdown") gives a notable performance as Crudup's enabling junkie girlfriend. The irrepressible Jack Black continues his reign as the Thinking Man's Chris Farley with a memorable turn as a manic,pill popping hospital orderly with interesting ideas about "prepping" patients. Great cameos abound, including a virtually unrecognizable Denis Leary (who for once goes a little deeper than just playing himself). Quite rewarding for patient viewers.