Movie Description
Director Abel Ferrara followed up the triumph of BAD LIEUTENANT with this quasi-autobiographical film. Harvey Keitel stars as Eddie Israel, a director whose current project, MOTHER OF MIRRORS, seems parallel his own life (which in turn parallels Ferrara's). The film-within-a-film stars Sarah Jennings (Madonna) and Francis Burns (James Russo) as a married couple whose shared life of cocaine, booze, and group sex has come to an end now that she has renounced her past in favor of God. Drinking heavily and snorting coke to get into his role, Francis finds the violent behavior of his character is taking over his reality, as he starts abusing Sarah off the set as well as on. Eddie meanwhile starts his own affair with Sarah, leading to confrontation with his wife (played by Nancy Ferrara, Abel's real-life wife) and his own moral dissolution. Shot on a variety of film stocks, this search for spiritual redemption--drenched in violence, drugs, and sex--makes for a heavy viewing experience. Regardless of opinion about the film itself, there is no denying the sheer bravery of this unflinching mirror of Ferrara's own life and art.
| Credits | | Cast: | Harvey Keitel, James Russo, Nancy Ferrara, Victor Argo |
Notes
Theatrical release: November 19, 1993 (N.Y.).
DANGEROUS GAME is available in both an R version and an unrated director's cut.
The film is filled with interesting touches that further blur the boundary between film and reality. In one sequence, the film-within-a film (MOTHER OF MIRRORS) uses the clapboard for the actual film (which reads "Abel Ferrara - Snake Eyes").
Director Jane Campion (THE PIANO) was originally considered to play the role of Eddie's wife.
DANGEROUS GAME was coproduced by Maverick, Madonna's production company.
The film includes cameos by Richard Belzer and Sammy Jack Pressman.
DANGEROUS GAME features an excerpt from Les Blank's film BURDEN OF DREAMS, about director Werner Herzog's filming of FITZCARRALDO.
Editorial Reviews
"...It's a film of no-holds-barred language, passion and rage....Keitel is the ideal Ferrara star; his control, volcanic emotions and endless capacity for expressiveness and revelation matching up with those very qualities in Ferrara himself..."
Los Angeles Times - Kevin Thomas (03/18/1994)
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