SIMPATICO

US, 1999, 106 minutes, Colour.
Nick Nolte, Jeff Bridges, Sharon Stone, Catherine Keener, Albert Finney, Shawn Hatosy, Kimberly Williams -Paisley, Liam Waite.
Directed by Matthew Warchus.

Simpatico is based on a play by actor-writer-director Sam Shepard. He is the author of such plays as True North, Fool for Love.

The film was directed by theatre director from England, Matthew Warchus, his only film.

The film focuses on the racing industry. In the present it focuses on the selling of a stallion for breeding purposes, owned by millionaire, Jeff Bridges. Sharon Stone plays his wife. However, the sale is interrupted by a plea from an old friend, played by Nick Nolte, who has a scheme of his own back in their home town of Azusa in California.

The film also goes back to the past, when the three central characters were young, pulling off racing scams, substituting champion horses for plodding horses and winning a lot of money. They come up against the commissioner, played by Albert Finney, whom they blackmail. Shawn Hatosy, Kimberly Williams-Paisley? and Liam Waite play the three young characters.

In the present, the film also focuses on a character played by Catherine Keener, always a substantial presence in any film.

The film shows the complexity of the scams, the consequences and people living with guilt, the need for some kind of integrity, the expose of false values. The Finney character is particularly interesting as a person who has learnt to live with his past – even though not entirely changing it.

1.A satisfying drama? Scams and frauds? Blackmail? Relationships? Guilt and consequences?

2.The racing setting, in California, in Kentucky? A background of wealth, poverty? Ordinary lives in small town California? The musical score?

3.The credits, the photos and their later significance? Incriminating? Each of the three and their contact with the photos? Simms, his being photographed, blackmailed? His ultimately not caring? The possible power of the photos? To be used? The failure – and their finally being burnt?

4.The title, the horse, a champion, yet a cover-up and a fraud? The sales, Rose and her love for the horse, riding it and shooting it?

5.The two time-spans, the present with Vinnie and Carter, Vinnie’s crisis, taking place over only a few days, the confrontation and resolution of the problems? The past, a longer period, the three friends, their age, the bonds between them, their work, their plans, substituting the horses, seen by Simms, trying to buy him off, his refusal and throwing their money away, the photos and the blackmail? The scam showing the worst side of each, especially Rose and her complicity? Carter and his use of the situation? Vinnie and his indecisiveness?

6.The adult Vinnie, Nick Nolte, dishevelled, his talk about Cecilia, his plan, the pressure on Carter to come to him, his drinking, his house and its squalor, the argument about Cecilia? Persuading Carter to go and see Cecilia? The issue of harassment, the arrest? Vinnie taking Carter’s car, the flight, taking his identity, his credit cards, the information about Simms as Ames? Carter’s story about Ames in Florida? The visit, the oblique talk with Ames, the what if…? His not caring? The visit with Rosie, her rejection of him? His return, the reconciliation with Carter, burning the cards?

7.Carter, his past, present success, horses and breeding, Simpatico, his extensive staff, busy on the phones, treating his clients, interrupting his meetings? The marriage with Rosie and its tensions, the phone calls to her? His flight to see Vinnie, his exasperation, trying to understand the situation with Cecilia? His car being stolen? Hurting his hand, Cecilia helping him, the discussions, giving her a task, buying her the dress, his staying in California, sleeping, the phone calls, awareness of what was going on, his weariness, the final decision to stay and to burn the photos? The possibility of a decent future?

8.Cecilia, ordinary, her work in the supermarket, her relationship with Vinnie, friendship, listening to his story, being taken in by him? Carter seeing her, her anxiety, her wanting him to leave, his asking her to go to Kentucky, her refusal? The persuasion of the dress, the possibility of going to the Derby – even if six months later? The dress, her flight, going to see Simms, her nervousness in talking with him, uncomfortable, her honesty? Simms and his proposal, her integrity? At the end, back at the Derby, happy?

9.Rosie, the marriage, the house, wealth, love for the horse, her drinking? The servants, the past, the scams, the sexual set-up for Simms, the photos, her phoning in and betraying him to the authorities? Her choices?

10.Simms, his role as a steward, his wife and children, the money, refusing it from the youngsters, the sexual encounter, the photos, his discovering them, his being exposed to the authorities, leaving, disgrace? Later, a new life, a new name? Loving his work, his explanation of the horses? Yet still corrupt, flirting, resigned to his fate?

11.A film of human nature, bad aspects and their consequences? Finding the good? What does it profit to gain the whole world and lose one’s soul?