Knockout performances
by Armin Mueller-Stahl, Samantha Mathis and Ron Perlman are the
true highlights of the film. Stahl embodies the broken down Russian
painter Nicholi with uncanny realism and authenticity. Based on
a real person, Seroff, whom Director Gallo chose to leave anonymous
for legal reasons, actually spoke with overbearingly crude language
and a never-ending bottle of vodka in his hand. But those idiosyncrasies
translate beautifully to the screen, and his performance is unmatched.
Mathis is outstanding as the mysterious and distraught neighbor,
Perlman makes a hilarious appearance as an overly flamboyant art
aficionado and Ray Liotta plays the homophobic father – with
such a humorous blend of zany characters, Local Color has a surprisingly
refreshing degree of comedy, which breaks up its slow pace and tranquil
subject matter.
While Local Color’s story and acting are its most redeeming
factors, the most peculiar piece of the film is its narration.
Opening with the voiceover of an older man explaining his journey
through life, the audience immediately assumes the story will
be a flashback. Instead, this same character, the older version
of Talia, continues to narrate at key points in the film - except
that we never get to see who is behind the voice. Several shots
focus on young Trevor Morgan’s face as the voice continues
to speak - we know it's him reminiscing about his experiences,
but we are never allowed to make that connection, since we never
even seen Morgan as an old man. It's obvious what is going on,
and yet the disassociation is prominently distracting.
Gallo brings to life the story of his own youth and the mentor
who guided him in his dreams of becoming a painter. His fervent
passion for both art and filmmaking (and the casting of several
exceptional actors) has culminated in a film both poignantly moving
and surprisingly humorous. Showcasing idealism and realism amidst
characters taken from his own experiences, the story behind the
making of Local Color is as aspiring as the film itself. Working
without studio support, the crew still acquired several notable
actors and was able to shoot the entire film in only 18 days.
Several of the producers, and even Gallo himself, took out mortgages
on their homes to help fund the film, and much of the talent agreed
to participate simply out of admiration of the script and the
shared passion to tell Gallo’s remarkable story.
- The Massie Twins
Read
the Exclusive Q&A with the cast and crew!
