Silver City (2004)

Director:

John Sayles

Writer (WGA):

John Sayles (written by)

Release Date:

17 September 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Vote early. Vote often.

Plot:

The discovery of a corpse threatens to unravel a bumbling local politician's campaign for governor of Colorado.

Plot Keywords:

Corpse | Campaign | Colorado | Governor | Lobbyist

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Chris Cooper	...	Dickie Pilager
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Chuck Raven
Cajardo Lindsey	...	Lloyd
John C. Ashton	...	Director
Elizabeth Rainer	...	Leslie
Donevon Martinez	...	Lazaro Huerta
James Gammon	...	Sheriff Joe Skaggs
Benjamin Kroger	...	Deputy Davis
Charles Mitchell	...	Henry
Danny Huston	...	Danny O'Brien
Alma Delfina	...	Lupe Montoya
Roslyn Washington	...	Hilary
David Clennon	...	Mort Seymour
Mary Kay Place	...	Grace Seymour
Tim Roth	...	Mitch Paine

Also Known As:

Gümüs sehir (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Psifise Pilager... dagoto (Greece) (festival title) [el]
Silver City (Argentina) (DVD title) [es]

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | USA:R (No. 40829) | Singapore:PG | Argentina:13 | UK:15 | Ireland:15A

Filming Locations:

Argo Gold Mine - 2350 Riverside Drive, Idaho Springs, Colorado, USA

Company:

Anarchist's Convention Films

Goofs:

Continuity: When Danny is splashing in the mine, the type of flashlight he is holding changes several times.

Quotes:

Danny O'Brien: I always pictured you in some smoky hole in the wall, hunched over your computer, spewing your bile at the military-industrial complex.
Mitch Paine: Well, it is a hole in the wall - but I'm surrounded by a bunch of anti-tobacco Fascists.
Danny O'Brien: I think they call them "pro-oxygen" these days.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tell Them Who You Are (2004)

Soundtrack:

Blue Moon Revisited

disappointing

Limp satire misses almost every mark. The target appears to be Bush, but none of Bush's real weaknesses are underscored with any satiric edge - speeches by Bush himself are funnier than those delivered by Candidate Pillager. In fact the script can't decide whether it's a real satire or a dramatic comment on political problems faced by illegal aliens. At any rate, the pacing of the comic moments is pretty bad - there's no oomph here, no energy. The acting also lacks energy - it is clear the actors aren't sure what Sayles wants from them - a matter made worse by the fact that every character is embarrassingly miscast.

This film is a shocking disappointment for admirers of Sayles' previous exceptionally fine work. What the heck went wrong here? And now I see Sayles is slated to do a "Juraissic Park" sequel? Obviously something's gone bad for this man's career - I hope he can pull it back together. But not with a film this incomplete.