Film: Something Wild

Director: Jonathan Demme
Genre: Comedy?
Source: USA (1986)
Rating: PG-13
Location/Format: On Demand
Grade: B+

I would love to be a fly on the wall in the selection process for Criterion films. When I think "great 80s films" there are so many classic movies that come to mind: Ferris Bueller (or really any John Hughes film), Eddie Murphy movies like Trading Places or Beverly Hills Cop, the Ghostbuster and Back to the Future franchises . . . all classics with a long history of popular success. Until recently, I hadn't even heard of 1986's Something Wild (though that poster art does put it firmly in the 80s), but that's why the Criterion series is so fun. Watching it now with an eye towards the future, I can see how this film sort of predicts coming film trends--and particularly the style of Quentin Tarantino. This film, by Jonathan Demme, seems to be a test run at what will go on to be Tarantino's signature style--catchy and unique soundtrack, fetishizing of pop culture (love the "Virginia is for Lovers" t-shirt), and an occasionally veering tonally from comedy to romance to brutal violence and back again. It's a fun journey, anchored by a really likable Jeff Daniels and Melanie Griffith, and it's one I was surprised to find my wife really enjoyed, even as it got pretty dark at points.

That darkness comes courtesy of Ray Liotta, who looks like a kid but still drips with danger every second he's on screen. According to IMDB, this is really only Liotta's second movie role (though he'd had some tv work before) and it's easy to see why just a few years later he would be anchoring Scorsese's Goodfellas as the equally volatile Henry Hill. By the time Liotta shows up, the movie has already taken a lot of silly, though still somewhat predictably 80s, twists. Liotta, however, brings a dangerous energy that is both sexy and frightening. He is casually cruel, and as that cruelty transforms into violence the film becomes more unpredictable. Daniels and Griffith are fun and cute, but it's Liotta who really transforms this movie into something different. 

I don't know how popular this film was in cinephile circles before Criterion claimed it, but it's this kind of pick that keeps me coming back to their movies more and more. Definitely one to watch again.

Alternate Film Title: "A Series of Awesome Cars"