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Kaffeine Buzz
reviews independent and foreign films,
in addition to reporting the latest buzz behind
Colorado's film festivals.
thumbsucker (mike mills)
Mike’s favorite color changes all the time,
but if you grill him enough he’ll tell you
that its blue-leaning-towards-cyan- is at the
top of the list. Lou puts weight on his left leg
when he stands, but you are more likely to find
him jumping.
These two people have a movie coming out named
Thumbsucker.
Director Mike Mills’ film
feels natural and honest with its thumb sucking
main character Justin– played by oh-my-gosh-that-kid-is-great
Lou Pucci- coping with feeling
unnatural and embarrassed.
Thumbsucker is fun to say and good to
watch. The story is about human flaws; the flaws
in our self, in our relationships and in our quest
to correct any flaws we think we have. More specifically
the movie is about this 17 year old who stills
sucks his thumb. Justin has parents, girls, teachers
and an orthodontist looking out for his best interest,
but they are grappling with their own short comings
and ultimately don’t have the answers.
Not to sound too gushy but the film is real life:
a succession of moments with few clues of what
the hell we are doing. People say they have the
answers but Mills calls bullshit on that. Good
for him.
Mills is part of The Directors Bureau where Roman
and Sofia Coppola – to name a few –
are just a few souls within this collective of
smart directors but, to some, aggravating story
tellers. Therefore, if you did not like Lost in
Translation then you might not have the patience
for Thumbsucker. I think that you are crazy for
not loving that film, but I’m giving you
fair warning none the less.
As far as the interview goes, I had fine coffee
and even a better conversation with these two.
Mike Mills is behind a lot amazing stuff. One
of his multi-task are designing album covers for
the likes of The Beastie Boys and another is directing
and shooting videos for hip bands like Air, along
with his long lived passion in graphic design.
All in all, Mills work may just have a piece of
work lying or hanging in your house; you just
didn’t know it was him.
Please note that I meet Lou Pucci before he was
big. Actually, that would be a bit misleading
because judging by how many upcoming projects
he has slated, the word on the street has been
out for some time on this kid’s talent.
Pucci has a part in HBO’s Empire Falls and
also spent some time on Broadway. I had him show
me his much revered jumping skills and he demonstrated
that he too can not draw a circle well. I’m
not sure if that relates to his awesome acting
skills but what the hell, he did jump very well.
Other actors in the film are Tilda Swinton (The
Deep End, Orlando), Vince Vaughn (Wedding Crasher,
Dodge Ball, Swingers, etc), Vincent D’onofrio
(Law& Order, The Cell, Steal This Movie, Mystic
Pizza, Full Metal Jacket) and Keanu Reeves (Bill
and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.)
Verdict is: Good guys. Good film. Go see.
http://www.sonyclassics.com/thumbsucker/
-David Joaquin Soto, September 30, 2005
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