Rating: 
Summary: "The ice cubes are too heavy."
Review: Steve Buscemi wrote, directed and stars in "Trees Lounge" He plays Tommy, an unemployed mechanic who lives above a bar, and in fact he spends most of his waking life in the bar, hanging out with the other regulars. Tommy is a lost soul, but he doesn't seem to grasp that fact. He's about to face the middle-age existence of a total loser, and he doesn't know how he got to that point or how he can get himself out of it. He yearns for his past romance to former girlfriend, Theresa (Elizabeth Bracco) who's now married to Tommy's ex-boss (Anthony LaPaglia.) Tommy doesn't really want Theresa back--it's more that he wants that period of his life back. Tommy's lack of direction put the nail in the coffin for his relationship with Theresa, but now that he's facing his 40s, he really looks pathetic. It's no wonder that only a naive 17-year-old girl falls for his tarnished charm. The cast is loaded by supporting talent--Carol Kane is the long-suffering bartender at Trees Lounge, and there's Uncle Al (Seymour Cassel). Uncle Al is a great character, and Uncle Al is exactly what Tommy will become--somewhat shady but always guaranteed to be viewed as the amusing family scallywag at all gatherings. When Al dies, Tommy uses Uncle Al's ice cream van and takes his place at the wheel. But even this relatively harmless employment leads Tommy into more trouble. Buscemi is right at home in the role of Tommy. We all know people like Tommy, and Buscemi's wonderful script and superb acting breathes life into a character who could all too easily be played as a stereotype--displacedhuman
Rating:
Summary: "The ice cubes are too heavy."
Review: Steve Buscemi wrote, directed and stars in "Trees Lounge" He plays Tommy, an unemployed mechanic who lives above a bar, and in fact he spends most of his waking life in the bar, hanging out with the other regulars. Tommy is a lost soul, but he doesn't seem to grasp that fact. He's about to face the middle-age existence of a total loser, and he doesn't know how he got to that point or how he can get himself out of it. He yearns for his past romance to former girlfriend, Theresa (Elizabeth Bracco) who's now married to Tommy's ex-boss (Anthony LaPaglia.) Tommy doesn't really want Theresa back--it's more that he wants that period of his life back. Tommy's lack of direction put the nail in the coffin for his relationship with Theresa, but now that he's facing his 40s, he really looks pathetic. It's no wonder that only a naive 17-year-old girl falls for his tarnished charm. The cast is loaded by supporting talent--Carol Kane is the long-suffering bartender at Trees Lounge, and there's Uncle Al (Seymour Cassel). Uncle Al is a great character, and Uncle Al is exactly what Tommy will become--somewhat shady but always guaranteed to be viewed as the amusing family scallywag at all gatherings. When Al dies, Tommy uses Uncle Al's ice cream van and takes his place at the wheel. But even this relatively harmless employment leads Tommy into more trouble. Buscemi is right at home in the role of Tommy. We all know people like Tommy, and Buscemi's wonderful script and superb acting breathes life into a character who could all too easily be played as a stereotype--displacedhuman
Rating:
Summary: Buscemi Rules!
Review: Steve is tremendous as an ice cream truck driver that falls for a young girl. Terrific indie film. All revolves around a bar. Loved it!
Rating:
Summary: Who Knew?
Review: That this would end up as one of the best movies of the 90's. No one I know agrees but you should see it and judge it yourself. If you've been a barfly, didn't have a reference for a job, had a great looking girl leave you, ect., you'll know exactly what "Trees" is all about. It's hard to believe Steve Buscemi got it so right becuase he's had steady work since the 80's. But all his friends come to play and made a movie right out of the 70's when most great movies were made. Even includes an awesome video on the DVD with awesome clips from the movie that you'll watch plenty of times. His buddy Mark Boone almost stole the show, but you knew Steve couldn't let it happen. Chloe Sevigney is great as the temptress and the scenes in "Trees" put it over the top. I think I'm going to watch this movie tonight, since I can't afford the bar scene, still no job and my girl left me. "Trees" is highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: What "Barfly" could have been....
Review: The film "barfly" was great because it showcased both the acting talents of Mickey Rourke and the great script by Bukowski. "Trees Lounge" lets Buscemi go one up on both of them by fufilling both duties and putting out a film thats even better than its inspiration. "Trees Lougne" is slow, subtle and slight. Yet the way it lingers on certain poignant moments, on certain characters and their emotions reminds me of Jim Jarmusch and his use of space and time. "Trees Lounge" lacks the idealism of "Barfly" but this is a good thing. It holds its own on story and dialouge. In fact, its a far superior film. I get the feeling that Buscemi will mature into a great director if given the time and MONEY (damn hollywood money machine, business round table controlling the world!!!!) See the movie!
Rating:
Summary: Everything and More
Review: There are few roles Steve can pick up that he can't enhance. In bit parts, as in Floundering or Wedding Singer, or when in the driver's seat as in Fargo and Living in Oblivion, the man has the presence of a decimal point in a twenty digit equation: He's the smallest entity there, both physically and supposedly in importance. But the man, like the dot, carries the sum. No other actor short of Dustin Hoffman has this kind of charisma in such an, at first glance, unprepossessing package. Like Dusty, Steve is amazing. But he's typecast, isn't he: He's good looking for an oddball, and he's got impeccable comic timing and the sort of fey delivery most stand up comics would kill for. Hmm, let's make him a pitiful comic foil to every virile, obnoxious hero out there. That, it seems to me, is what Hollywood does with idiosyncratic talent: Gives it a donut, and tells it to act weird. So: He picked up one more cinematic onus, and became both director and star, with sensational results. Buscemi's performance is one factor in the success, the supporting cast holds a sizable portion of the credit, the plotline is taut as a cliff diver's nerves. It's an unique concept: A comic foil new to the director's chair, upstaging the men who threw him pell-mell into Armaegeddon by simply making a GOOD MOVIE. Credibility makes the difference. Every character in this opus is vibrant: Chloe Sevigny's Debbie has a youthful, homely-beautiful role in the deterioration of the man we're looking for: One Tommy Basilio, a grimy mechanic around whom every other character orbits, from the knot-on-the-stool Mike (Mark Boone Jr.) to whom Old Crow takes priority over wife and kids, to Carol Kane's smart aleck bar keep. Kevin Corrigan is typically remarkable in a bit part as Matthew, son of Uncle Al as played by Symour Cassel (remember Rushmore? Another favorite.) He and Steve saw action together in the hapless-film-makers flick L.I.O. Anthony LaPaglia is staid as Rob, who robbed with Tommy's woman. (Sidenote: He also stole Blanche from Mr. Penn in Sweet and Lowdown-Friggin' thief!) The movie is tight and orderly, a by-the-book but still intriguing look at substance abuse and every ramification of all those shots and cocaine breaks. And whomever culled together that soundtrack deserves a scholarship to Julliard on the grounds of taste alone-Ink Spots, Bachman Turner Overdrive (not so crazy for that one, but...). And Hayden! Hayden, I say! This is an example of what I like to see: Ingenious, energetic indie film-making. Every time I see a movie like Trees Lounge, Palookaville, Buffalo '66, Living in Oblivion, et al, I feel refreshed with the knowledge that cinema, like literature, never dies: It simply goes into periodic comas, and emerges even stronger and more unflappable than before. So, whomever funded Armaegeddon: Leave. Buy a Rolling Stone and keep dreaming of Alexander Hamilton and Oscar nominations. For the men or women responsible for movies like this: Were I Pope, you'd all be canonized.
Rating:
Summary: An Imaginary Autobiography?
Review: This film, written and directed by and starring Steve Buscemi is perhaps a tale of how his own life may have gone if he had not made it as an actor. The story centres around a bar, the Trees Lounge, in which Tommy (Buscemi) hangs out and gets drunk with the other drunks. Many of the settings are lifted from Buscemi's life before his acting career took off. Tommy doesn't have a job, or a girl or a life. He managed to loose them all at the same time. In their place, all that he has is an alcoholic haze. What he really wants more than anything is to get those things back. Ideally, he'd like the old job and girl but instead he finds himself driving an ice-cream van and hooks up with the young neice of his ex. This does not sound like a brilliant basis for a film and this movie's impact depends almost exclusively on how the viewer relates to the main character Tommy. If he is a shallow drunk with no merits beyond a quick intelligence then the film will not appeal. On the other hand, if you find yourself wishing him well and hoping that, somehow, he can get himself back together again then you will enjoy this film. What makes this movie for me is that Buscemi is seen in a role where you feel he really is playing a character that he is close to. In Reservoir Dogs and Escape from LA, he was acting. Here and in Fargo, he just was.
Rating:
Summary: ..but was it filmed widescreen ?
Review: This is a great film, proving that Buscemi needs to have more direction opportunities. It is a must for Bukowski (and Chloe Sevigne) fans. But is this (or the Uk DVD) in the correct aspect ration ? Was it shot in 4:3 (1.33:1) or was it shot wider ?
Will someone post a review of the DVd that tells us this and whetehr the DVD is in the correct aspect ration (this is the kind of thing you should be doing, Amazon).
As I said, superb movie.
Rating:
Summary: TREES
Review: This movie is so fun to watch for me. I don't have many details right now, but it's a great movie to just hang out and watch and there are some really funny FUNNY parts if you have a strange sense of humor! Steve Buscemi is right on the money when it comes to making me laugh and pay attention at the same time! GETIT
Rating:
Summary: A Royal Flush
Review: This movie is the best. From the opening scene to the last it moves like a now defunct L.I.R.R. bar-car. Mike, Tommy, Debbie-you'll feel like you've known them your entire life. The bar "Trees Lounge" is what defines everyone. Whether they used to go there and grew up and started families, or new in town and just want to get stoned, or only 17 and trying to act older or in Tommy's place-Just Can't Leave, the bar will stay and the people will come. Somebody please tell Steve B. to make a sequel but I doubt it will come close. I use to go to my local "Trees" but, like Tommy, life was getting dreary. So now instead I'll pop in T.L. on DVD, crack open a 6 pack, light a butt and kick back and relax. A masterpiece for those "in the know."
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