'Buck' stops here with Malkovich performance
The Great Buck Howard
Running time: 87 minutes
MPAA rating: PG (mild profanity, suggestive remarks, drug reference)
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John Malkovich, whose acting arsenal never ceases to amaze me, reins it in a little to play the has-been mentalist title character in “The Great Buck Howard.”
There’s none of the bombastic ex-CIA analyst on display in the Coen Bros.’ outlandish spy spoof-comedy “Burn After Reading.”
Written and directed with subtle style by Sean McGinly (“Two Days”), “The Great Buck Howard” allows Malkovich to wallow around in the ego-driven persona of a mentalist who is quick with a elbow-rattling wheelhouse handshake and just as speedy to point out that he appeared 61 times on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson.
Never mind that Jay Leno has never bothered to extend the same invitation. So Buck dazzles tiny audiences in small dusty theaters around the USA. Some people, like his new personal assistant Troy (Colin Hanks), make the mistake of not distinguishing between mentalist and magician.
“I was a magician when I was 3 years old, but I evolved out of that. Not that I have anything against magicians, as long as they’re dead,” Buck scolds.
Troy is performed with laid-back charm by Colin, the younger acting Hanks. Father Tom, whose company is behind this production, shows up for a couple of scenes. Primarily, it’s to express dismay and disappointment that his son has dropped out of law school to tag along with a second-rate entertainer.
There’s an added plus to being on the road for Troy, who really wants to be a writer. He gets to work closely Valerie, a publicist assigned to Buck but attracted to him. British actress Emily Blunt, also opening in “Sunshine Cleaning” in some cities today, ups the intrigue ante just when director McGinly begins to let things sag a little.
Malkovich, sporting his second awful hairpiece in a row (after playing the crusading preacher in “Changeling”), displays an impressive bag of acting tricks. He’s on top of his game playing a second-rate show biz name (inspired by mentalist The Amazing Kreskin) with a first-rate find-the-money trick.
The comic nuances in “The Great Buck Howard” may be too subtle for some. And certainly, this character study of an offbeat showman who really means it when he wails “I love this town!” at the drop of a hat, is probably not going to demand a spot on many critic Top 10 lists at the end of the year.
There’s something a little magical going on here, though. The end result is a moving portrait of a proud man who lives his dream no matter the cost.
That’s impressive. And did I mention that John Malkovich, one of the greatest actors of his generation, takes on the title role?
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