Another day in paradise

Based on a true story, Larry Clark’s offbeat road movie delves into familiar territory for the always controversial director, that being the search for or absence of a familial or communal maxim. Based on a novel by Eddie Little, “Another day in paradise” follows the misadventures of two young criminal lovers and part-time junkies Bobbie and Rosie (Vincent Kartheiser and Natasha Gregson Wagner) who team up with the more experienced crime couple Mel and Sid (James Woods and Melanie Griffith) to commit a series of robberies across America. Bobbie, coming from a seriously dysfunctional family (with hints of physical abuse from his father), begins to form a strong familial bond with the childless Mel and Sid. The ‘happy families’ scenario begins to come apart however when the crew begin to get more reckless with their crimes, while falling heavier into drug use. Larry Clark (whose past photographic essays on teenagers inform most of his film work), adopts his usual languid style as the camera casually drifts over young bodies, their boredom only slightly elevated by sporadic bursts of violence. In contrast, James Woods gives his familiar intense performance, while Melanie Griffith imbues her role with a unselfconscious charm as the junkie substitute ‘mother’ for this ill-fated family. Cast includes: Lou Diamond Philips, Peter Sarsgaard.