In a war-torn country somewhere between here and way over there, where the climate is not quite hot, yet not quite cold, there is a revolt brewing, full of rebels, counter-rebels and anti-counter-rebels galore. It is a place where everyone drinks hard liquor and Mexican beer. It is a place where the people are as ironic as their names.
And these people are the characters of "Masked and Anonymous," a new film directed by the acclaimed writer and producer of "Seinfeld," Larry Charles.
The movie opens with the dirty, sad faces of homeless men, gazing blankly into the camera. Is it a poverty-stricken district of Los Angeles? A city south of the border? In Asia? Africa? Or right at home? The mystery is both puzzling and intriguing.
Enter Uncle Sweetheart (John Goodman), a Jack Daniel's guzzling entrepreneur in over his head in a deal with some mafia goons who, together, barely carry the weight Sweetheart does. Add the slightly trashy television producer, Nina Veronica (Jessica Lange), and the stage is set for a downward spiral of catastrophe in the form of a benefit concert.
But with the goons and Ms. Veronica both breathing down his neck, Sweetheart's life depends on the concert's success. The pretense of the concert is to offer some sort of medical relief for an unnamed disease, a product of the war.
However, it is unclear what the war is even about. Veronica guesses it's about religion. All wars these days are about religion, she explains.
The concert's sole performer, Jack Fate, an iconic rock star played by Bob Dylan is then thrown into this mix of unusual characters. Withered, if not forgotten, by time spent in a dingy jail, Jack is granted release to play for the concert that Veronica is supposed to turn into an international spectacle.
As he waits for the bus that reads "To City," Jack meets a guy at the bus stop (Cheech Marin) who asks, "Where you headed?" The reply is typical of Dylan's dialogue throughout the movie: "That way," he says without pointing.
Fate answers no questions. Contrary to his laid-back persona, which practically oozes from Dylan's inquisitive poker face, Jack Fate's presence attracts an angry investigative reporter (Jeff Bridges) and his religiously fanatical girlfriend (Penelope Cruz), a friend named Cupid (Luke Wilson) and an unexpected twist of "fate" for the cast of unruly characters.
The movie is more sinister than one might expect from the creator of such hit comedies like "Seinfeld" (NBC) and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO), but it is clearly a work of an intelligent imagination.
Part satire, part cynic, "Masked and Anonymous" pairs stereotypes with the absolutely unreal. For example, the citizens of the unknown country comes from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Also, the nation's flag has bold red and blue stripes emblazoned with a few white stars placed diagonally across from a distorted image of North America in the lower right-hand corner. As the movie progresses, it becomes clear that this is only one of many images and themes aimed at portraying this quintessential third world country as a haunting echo of the United States.
The symbolism imbedded in the movie is thought-provoking and buried deep within the lunacy of the movie's vaudeville plot, complete with appearances from Pope John Paul "Deuce," Ghandi, a black-faced minstrel and a ventriloquist, among others.
Dylan's character fits snugly in this star-studded cast, with an impressive performance, or lack thereof, from the rock icon himself. Jack Fate's personality isn't a far stretch for Dylan. The rest of the stars tone down their glitter for dirtier, hairier characters than they usually play.
The combination is an enlivened cast, full of spirit and momentum that are captured on-screen by unique cinematography that occasionally surprises the viewer with a particularly interesting angle on a scene. With the exception of a few unnecessarily long scenes of Jack Fate practicing with his band, the movie moves along quickly.
The film has an appropriate mix of laughter, perplexity and drama and its meaning is not lost. The fate of that country is a closer reflection of the good ole U.S. of A. than imagined.
Angela Basset, Bruce Dern, Ed Harris, Val Kilmer, Chris Penn, Giovanni Ribisi, Mickey Rourke and Christian Slater e round out this impressive cast.
"Masked and Anonymous" may be a bit ambiguous, but the decision to go see it shouldn't be.
