By: debbie lynn elias
When I think of Mark Ruffalo, the words talented, easy-going, funny, nice, loyal, articulate, involved, dedicated and passionate immediately come to mind. He is no stranger to the ups and downs of Hollywood and has proven himself as an accomplished actor in front of the camera, time and time again. But now Ruffalo shows a hidden talent, a hidden passion. With SYMPATHY FOR DELICIOUS, Ruffalo steps behind the camera to direct what has been his passion for ten years. With a script written by his long time friend and fellow thespian, Christopher Thornton, Ruffalo more than proves his mettle as a director with a beautifully lensed, crisply edited, emotionally electrifying film that shows the shows the power of passion and compassion.
Dean O’Dwyer aka Delicious “D” is a passionate DJ. Trying to find his niche in the underground music circuit, not too long ago his was a name recognized and wanted by all. But a motorcycle accident left him a paraplegic and wheelchair bound, taking him out of the spotlight and sending him on a downward spiral into an emotional hell from which he may never recover.
Father Joe Roselli is a dedicated and passionate your priest who wants nothing more than to save the world. Opening his own small mission on Skid Row in Los Angeles, Father Joe feeds hundreds daily while attempting to find help and housing for countless others. But above all, Father Joe believes in the power of prayer, the power of faith and that unwavering belief in the power of the Almighty (whomever that may be) can and will heal all – emotionally, spiritually, financially and physically.
Dean is somewhat of a pet project for Father Joe, who sees Dean’s potential. He also sees the anger and depression in Dean and encourages him to find God, talk to God, pray to God for healing of his spine so that he will one day walk again. Dean dismisses faith-healing as bunk, especially after attending a healing revival where he is passed over and ignored by the evangelist. Raging with anger inside, Dean becomes more internally self-destructive, but in one instant, shows compassion for an elderly homeless man who is huddled on the street in pain and extremely sick. As Dean touches the man in comfort, he feels the heat of the man’s fever in his hand, so hot he has to pull back. Rolling on, he ultimately leaves the man alone, dismissing him as a forgotten memory.
But the next day, the Row is abuzz with talk of the healing of the man. Fever gone, sore blistered swollen feet are normal. He is cured. Father Joe sees this as a miracle and sees Dean as the man who performed the miracle. Trying to convince Dean that he is possessor of this healing power is something else though.
Father Joe pushes and pushes Dean to share his gift with those less fortunate. Eventually, Father Joe’s persuasive arguments and the providing of a motel room and gas money win Dean over and he begins doing the Lord’s work. Or is it Father’s Joe’s work? Money is free-flowing with people paying for healing. Yet Dean sees none of it. What Dean does see is an opportunity to regain his self-esteem by nabbing a gig as a DJ. Unfortunately, he is met with cruelty and discrimination by the club thanks to his disability. But as they say, God does work in mysterious ways and a young woman named Ariel comes to Dean’s aid. Turns out she knows his prior work and is in need of someone with his skills in her band. Offering Dean and audition, could this be the break he’s been waiting for?
Meeting with the band and their front man The Stain, Dean finds himself being pulled in multiple directions. Father Joe sees Dean as his cash cow but with no monetary compensation going Dean’s way while once The Stain sees the healing powers that Dean possesses, views him as the savior and money train for the band, with a big pay day for Dean. And of course, Dean goes for the money. But will that choice be his salvation? Will it cure the pain and hurt that still eats away at him? Or will he have to pay the piper for this “success”? Will he face the ultimate redemption?
Christopher Thornton’s Dean….well, one look into those eyes of his and he has you, hook, line and sinker. He immediately draws you into Dean’s psyche, his wounded heart. You feel the loss of Dean, the confusion with the religious psycho babble. Every aspect of Dean resonates within you thanks to Thornton’s passionate and honest performance. Particularly notable is that you forget that Dean is in a wheelchair. The fact that the character (and Thornton) is disabled, disappears into the background as Dean’s biggest disability and challenge becomes his heart and his own moral code. The passion – and compassion – which Thornton brings to the role and the film proves he is the real deal.
As for Ruffalo and his performance as Father Joe – interesting and intriguing. Ruffalo gives Joe this edge that is metaphoric for the Devil, sin, corruption. His methods aren’t pure. He is consumed by greed. If nothing else, what immediately shoots to the surface of SYMPATHY FOR DELICIOUS is that money is the root of all evil, as we see evil stemming from monetary greed and the desire for self satisfaction and acclaim unfold before our eyes. The nervous edginess that Ruffalo brings to the character adds layers of emotional texture and a sense of unspoken guilt that suddenly disappears into greed and resentment and then, hopefully, redemption. It is fascinating to watch Ruffalo’s arc. Interesting is that because he was so involved in directing the film, Ruffalo turned to co-star Laura Linney for guidance and input into his acting and performance of Father Joe.
But then we have …..ORLANDO BLOOM. Can we just hand him an Oscar now? Bloom just blows me away. He commands the screen. As The Stain, he is the Devil incarnate. A blend of Dickens’ Fagin, Elmer Gantry, Sid Vicious, an 80’s Adam Ant…he is explosive! He is so charismatic, you feel as if he was the Snake in the Garden of Eden. And with the performance Bloom gives, there is no way to not give into temptation and evil. You stop breathing when he is on screen. The magnetism and power that Bloom exudes leaps from the screen. Oscar. Now. End of story.
Juliette Lewis is, as always, fabulous and so well suited to the role of Ariel, plus she gets to showcase her own talents as a bass player. (Lewis has a band in real life.) While Laura Linney as the scheming and conniving promoter/manager Nina Hogue is another big WOW. What an evil cut-throat bitch! I don’t recall ever seeing Linney oozing this much “evil” before. Her performance is so compelling you find yourself wanting to see more of Nina.
Whoever said there are no original scripts and stories for films hasn’t met Christopher Thornton. After ten years and some forty+ drafts of the screenplay, the end result is a gripping story with distinctive, flawed, gritty characters. The morality and socio-religious messaging of the film is well placed and well told. The story of grace and redemption for Dean and Joe is inspiring and emotionally fulfilling. Nothing is shoved down anyone’s throat. The messages and morals are told against backdrops that are socially relatable to every demographic and done without ever going “over the top” into preaching. Characters are well established as are their interactions.
Technically, it is easy to see that Ruffalo has learned the ropes well watching other directors during his years of acting. He has a good eye for framing and lensing, creating an intimate portrait with the incorporation of some very interesting camera angles. The use of lighting is particularly notable and is used as an integral storytelling tool. Although there are some flaws, a few “extra” shots of people on Skid Row that really served no purpose in the overall story (it’s established – Skid Row, horrible conditions, tragic stories, dirt, filth, disease – too many lingering inserts of single individuals that were unnecessary), questions that are unanswered and raise curiosity (Dean’s history and detail on how he landed in a chair and on Skid Row, Ariel’s background), the end result is compelling, inspired and inspiring, hopeful storytelling.
One cannot help but be moved by SYMPATHY FOR DELICIOUS and walk away with a personal sense of grace, no matter how small, along with the desire to be better.
Dean O’Dwyer – Christopher Thornton
Father Joe – Mark Ruffalo
The Stain – Orlando Bloom
Ariel Lee – Juliette Lewis
Nina Hogue – Laura Linney
Directed by Mark Ruffalo. Written by Christopher Thornton.
