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Leo is a clever film, a clever film constructed by clever film makers and populated by clever actors. Like so many clever films of late it also features a clever twist, and it’s said clever twist along with the clever, self-conscious way it’s handled that ultimately drags the whole film down.
Essentially the film alternates between two apparently unattached but concurrent stories set in the American south. The first follows a man called Stephen (Joseph Fiennes). Recently released from jail he takes a job in a tough little hotel/diner while trying to finish writing the book he started in prison. While working he finds himself embroiled in a microcosm of Mississipi’s no-lifes: The hard-nosed owner Vic (Sam Shepherd), another ex-convict Louis, the two vicious regulars Horace (Dennis Hopper) and Jack, along with the much put upon waitress Caroline (Deborah Unger).
The second story is that of Mary (Elisabeth Shue) an intelligent, university educated woman who sacrificed her career to further that of her husband. We see her life of bored suburban domesticity fold in on itself in a spiral of rumour, jealously and adultery, a spiral which climaxes in the birth of the eponymous Leo. Unaware of the reasons but all too aware they exist he becomes the embodiment of his mother’s self-loathing and the target of her endless, bitter abuse.
This is Medhi Norowzian’s first feature film having previously paid the bills directing commercials and unfortunately it shows. The film has a stop-start, episodic feel with many scenes awkwardly running out of momentum after the first couple minutes. More importantly however is the complete lack of impetus amongst the cast and therefore an absence of any emotional attachment between the characters and the audience. While Norowzian is busy shuffling the plot around to support his clever twist those sat in the cinema are struggling to appreciate Mary’s anger and relationship with her son, a problem compounded by the walk-on-walk-off feel of both her husband and her lover. Although post-twist the film finds a more satisfying rhythm it never really recovers from alienating the audience so early on.
The well-stocked cast, at first appearing to be nothing more than a (clever) marketing ploy ultimately ends up as the film’s most redeeming feature. Joseph Fiennes is subtle and contemplative, walking the fine line twixt dull and kooky while Elisabeth Shue pulls off a similar trick being believably affected by the bum hand she’s been dealt without ever becoming too weepy or too psycho-crazy. The supporting players aquit themselves well being solid and believable when the direction allows. A special note has to be made about Dennis Hopper and Sam Shepherd, both of whom are playing roles their faces have almost become shorthand for: Hopper is pleasingly mad, dangerous and mean (not quite Paris Trout mad, dangerous and mean, but definitely mad, dangerous and mean in that inimitable Hopper style), meanwhile Sam Shepherd is troubled and hard but in the end reveals himself to be good and fair.
However good the acting it can’t save the film it’s in. If Norowzian had paid more attention to his characters and less to being a clever film maker then this film could have turned out as something special, unfortunately, as it stands Leo is somewhat contrived and empty.
