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decide your own life
Christy 2022-03-20 09:01:26
Cronenberg's works have always been characterized by toughness, straightness, and less soundtrack. They don't deliberately explain the background and relationships of the characters, but naturally present with the plot, with more or less sex, and joyful violence. This is a movie that I fell in love with within 15 minutes of the opening, and the layered script makes the viewing experience more immersive. The actors did a great job and could really see Joey in Tom's eyes. On the surface, one person plays two roles, but it actually expresses the choice of the same person facing two lives. When reality forces him, he has no choice but to rely on himself.
Extended Reading
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[Richie talks to Joey about the business]
Richie Cusack: What am I gonna do? You bust up a made man's place. You killed some of his guys. You take his eye. Jesus, Joey... you nearly took out his left eye. Barbed wire, wasn't it? That's disgusting. You always were the crazy one.
Tom Stall: Not anymore.
Richie Cusack: Yeah, I heard. You're living the American Dream. You really bought into it, didn't you? You've been this other guy, almost as long as you've been yourself. Hey, when you dream, are you still Joey?
Tom Stall: Joey's been dead a long time.
Richie Cusack: And yet here you sit... big as life. You know you cost me a lot of time and money. Before you pulled that shit with Fogarty, I was a shoe-in to take over when the boss croaked. A shoe-in. It was made very clear to me, Joey. I had to clean up your mess, or nothing was ever gonna happen for me! You got no idea how much shit I had to pull to get back in with those guys. You cost me! A hell of a lot, Joey. A hell of a lot!
Tom Stall: Looks like you're doing all right over here.
Richie Cusack: Yeah, I am, I am. I'm still behind the eight-ball... because of you. There's a certain lack of respect, a certain lack of trust. The boys in Boston are just waitin' for me to go down.
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[Tom gets a phone call in the middle of the night]
Tom Stall: Hello?
Richie Cusack: [voice] Hey, Bro-heem. You're still pretty good with the killing. That's exciting.
Tom Stall: Richie?
Richie Cusack: [chuckles; voice] Yeah, it's Richie. What do you say, Joey? Are you going to come see me? Or do I have to come see you?