Lianna
Dir: John Sayles
1983
***
John Sayles' Lianna, his second film as director after Return of the Secaucus 7, is a huge improvement on his debut, with a much stronger story and much better script. However, his directing skills still had a lot to live up to at this point. Fresh from the school of Roger Corman, Sayles cut corners, some that can't be excused by lack of budget. I believe the actors were all very capable but I don't think Sayles got the performances from them that they were capable of of. Such a shame then, as the story was important, mature and ahead of it's time. The editing is a little clumsy and some of the shots are painfully amateur considering the bold script, although the script isn't without it's problems. It seemed that every great line of dialogue had to end with a misplaced joke or throwaway attempt at sarcasm. It really tarnishes what should have been Sayles' big breakthrough film. There are moments of cinematic brilliance throughout the film but silly mistakes and an overlong running time distract to the point that these moments can be easily missed. I wasn't sold on the conclusion much either but it's a fascinating look at the beginnings of a great director.