Published at: July 30, 1998, 1:24 a.m. CST by staff
Well it seems like ol Coen Sister has a thing for Ben Stiller, and upon seeing his upcoming PERMANENT MIDNIGHT, she decided he needed some hype because of the fact that he needs to be a bigger star. Well, all I can say is Ben Stiller seems headed in the right direction with THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, which showcased the hell out of him. As for PERMANENT MIDNIGHT, has anyone else seen it? This is the first I've heard of it, and it's coming out September 18th...
Hey, your friend the "Coen Sister" here--I haven't seen anything
interesting in months so I haven't written, but I saw something last night
that really had an impact on me and wanted to get the word out so here it
is....(by the way, I swear I'm not a shill for Ben Stiller's agent or
anything--I just really thought he was phenomenal.)
"Permanent Midnight"
While watching "Permanent Midnight" the other night, there was one nagging
thought that kept recurring to me again and again: WHY ISN'T BEN STILLER A
BIGGER STAR? Funnier than Jim Carrey and cuter thanTom Cruise he's one of
the most exciting, talented actors working today yet superstardom seems to
constantly elude him. I'm hoping 1998 will be the year that all changes,
having seen him play 4 very different roles in 4 very good movies in the
space of just a few months. I don't think anyone has shown more
versatility in such a short period of time...he proved he could play it
straight in the underrated "Zero Effect", made an engagingly goofy romantic
lead in "Something About Mary" and was an effective creep in "Your Friends
and Neighbors". And in his most recent movie, "Permanent Midnight", he's
bound to astound even those who recognized his talent all along.
"Permanent Midnight" tells the real-life story of self-absorbed,
self-destructive writer Jerry Stahl who made a living in the 80s writing
for television sitcoms such as "ALF". (In the film, the puppet character
is called "Chompers" but the resemblance to Alf is unmistakeable). It
details his battle with heroin addiction, his arranged marriage to a
Hollywood power player (a surprisingly vulnerable and likeable Elizabeth
Hurley) and how he finally dug himself out of the hell he created. It's
not a completely original story--we've seen this downward spiral a million
times before--but the way the film handles the subject with honesty and
humor makes it more than a TV-movie-of-the-week. Graphic without being
gratuitous, the film is never preachy in it's subject matter no matter how
low Jerry sinks. There were several moments when writer/director David
Veloz (he worked on the "Natural Born Killers" script) could have
sacrificed realism for a big, emotional "movie moment". I'm sure it was
tempting, but Veloz resists and delivers an honest, fascinating portrayal.
I also appreciated the way he cast a lot of actors against type--in
addition to showing real confidence in Stiller and Hurley, Cheryl Ladd has
a small but effective role as a sitcom star and ER's Maria Bello charms as
the wounded woman who picks up Stahl for a one-night stand only to discover
what might be love.
But it's really Stiller who's given the role of a lifetime, and he knows
it. More than rising to the occasion, he outdoes himself with a
performance that manages to be terrifying and exhilerating at the same
time. At times arrogant yet charming, disgusting yet sexy, I don't think
any role has ever captured Stiller's unique talent so well. Here's hoping
this film will finally bring him the appreciation he deserves.
