SOMEBODY TO LOVE

US, 1994, 103 minutes, Colour.
Rosie Perez, Harvey Keitel, Michael de Lorenzo, Anthony Quinn, Steve Buscemi, Geraldo Rivera, Stanley Tucci.
Directed by Alexandre Rockwell.

Somebody to Love is the second feature from Alexandre Rockwell, whose first small-budget film, In the Soup, was a critical and commercial success. This time he is more ambitious (even dedicating his film to the Fellini’s) and has a strong cast.

It is a Los Angeles story, a story of a taxi dancer and her ambition to be an actress (as in In the Soup the young man had an ambition to be a film-maker - but succeeded). The film depends on Rosie Perez's strong presence as the central character. She gives an excellent performance (after Night on Earth, White Men Can't Jump, Untamed Heart and her Oscar nomination for Fearless). Harvey Keitel and Anthony Quinn appear in roles that could have been taken by lesser actors, as does the director Sam Fuller. There are many good parts of Somebody to Love - but whether it adds up to a successful whole is debatable.

1. The portrait of Mercedes, of Mercedes in the Los Angeles subculture?

2. The Los Angeles setting, the club, the Hispanic world, workplaces, sleazy locales? The musical score and the ranges of songs and dancing for the film?

3. The title, its focus on Rosie and on Ernesto?

4. Rosie Perez's screen presence and performance, appearance, mannerisms, accent? At the bus stop, fidgety, the interview with George and his attack on her, her angry reaction (and the later effusive apology)? The affair with Harry, his hanging around the bar, her hopes? Her admiration for his television background? His wife? Her encounter with Ernesto, his not being able to dance, his getting her attention, the gifts, defending her against the thugs? Her taking him home, the night in the bath? His wanting to dance with no-one with her and her accommodating him? His transformation and taking her out to dinner, the lobster? The dancing, her leaving him, the encounter with the film director on the road, his vision for her, his death? Her disillusionment? The night with Harry, his wife coming back and her having to go? His wanting $10,000? Her telling Ernesto, his giving her the gift, her not being able to take it - as well as his medal? The horror of his being shot? Their walking around the beach and his being levitated, her final levitation and her life coming into focus? Her future?

5. Harvey Keitel as Harry, his television background and living on it, his wanting work? The infatuation with Mercedes and hanging around the bar? His wife and wanting a divorce? His relationship with George? His getting the job, in the gorilla suit, his being fired for not being animal enough? The night with Mercedes, his vanity, his wife coming back? The encounters with Ernesto? His future with or without Mercedes?

6. Ernesto, at the bar with the boys, their egging him on, being a bad dancer? At home with all his friends? His tattoos, especially the Virgin Mary on his back? His medallion? His working as a gravedigger, the encounter with the gangster, helping him, the job offer? His taking it up, his clothes and transformation, making the deliveries? His defending Mercedes, her taking him home for the night, his taking her out for the dinner and her disappearance? His refusing to dance at the bar with anyone but her? The request of the $10,000? Going to the gangster, the information about the hit, going to the pornographic cinema, doing the killing? His giving Mercedes the money? Her refusal? Putting it in her bag? His being shot? The irony of the happiness of walking around the beach and his levitating - compared with his death and her coming into focus?

7. Anthony Quinn as the gangster, weeping in the grave at the funeral, his work, henchmen, the jobs and the deliveries, giving him the hit job and the money, his regretting that he would have to get him killed?

8. The comedy sequences with George as agent, his approach to Mercedes, the encounter with Harry?

9. The girls at the bar, dancing, the parade, the glamour, the sleaziness? Mickey the transvestite, friendship with Mercedes, singing with her? The men on the staff, selling the tickets, the compere, the band, the clients?

10. A portrait of Los Angeles and Los Angeles characters?