According to the dictionary, "Limbo" is defined as "the abode of just or innocent souls excluded from the beatific vision but not condemned to further punishment," "a region or condition of oblivion or neglect," "a state or place of confinement," and/or "an intermediate place or state."
Described by a diary passage found in director John Sayles intriguing film of the same title, limbo isn't heaven, it's too cold to be hell, and certainly isn't purgatory because there's no end to it. No matter the definition, that limbo theme permeates Sayles' film, from the richly drawn characters and their lives to an unresolved ending that may leave audiences perplexed and/or irritated, but ultimately is in keeping with the film's overall nature.
Making his twelfth film, Sayles ("Lone Star," "Men With Guns") delivers yet another slow-paced but ultimately intriguing feature that manages to get under your skin. While it's certainly not for everyone's tastes and features some odd and seemingly inappropriately used scene insertions and editing, the film nonetheless turns out to be quite good.
You have to leave it to Sayles, one of the cinema's most prolific independent filmmakers. Not only does he finance his own films -- thus ensuring him complete artistic control -- but he also gives most of them a unique and unconventional nature that makes them refreshing to watch. That especially holds true for critics who, for the most part, repeatedly have to see the same types of films over and over again.
As such, this film starts off as one sort of story and ends in a completely different fashion, all while still managing to carry its limbo-related theme throughout. Sayles wisely doesn't hammer home this symbolism, however, but instead allows it to ooze forth from the characters and their situational predicaments.
The signs of that are scattered throughout the story. A cannery is closing and its employees are uncertain about their future. Joe has remained in his own private limbo for the past two decades and then enters a new type with his relationship with Donna. Meanwhile, she and her daughter exist in their own versions. Even the characters described in a discovered diary carry that theme with them.
While all of that may sound like a depressing state of affairs, Sayles excellent writing keeps it from getting too heavy handed and the above par performances keep things interesting. In addition, and about midway through the story, he suddenly jerks the steering wheel, so to speak, and sends the story careening off into an entirely different and completely unexpected direction. That not only revives one's interest in the story and its characters, but also keeps that theme running, although disguising it under the newly displayed Swiss Family Robinson motif.
Then there's the matter of the extremely unconventional ending. Showing an exorbitant amount of cinematic intestinal fortitude, Sayles leaves the audience in the same state of limbo as those they've been watching in the movie.
While it's a move no major studio would allow and is certain to irritate many moviegoers, it actually makes sense (regarding the film's title and recurring theme) and should prove to generate some heated, but welcomed debate about what really happens next in the story. It's a sort of "you fill in the blanks" scheme and while some may hate it, I actually found it fun -- after the initial "you must be kidding" reaction.
Beyond all of that, the film is filled with a great cast and they deliver compelling and great performances. One of the better, underrated actors working today, David Strathairn ("Simon Birch," "The River Wild") perfectly plays his "broken" character haunted by a tragic past. With our hindsight into his character's former difficulties, and his subtle nuances of displaying them from under his otherwise quiet demeanor, Strathairn delivers a wonderful performance.
As does Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio ("The Abyss," and an Oscar nominee for "The Color of Money") as the single mom who can keep neither her boyfriends nor her daughter happy. Beyond doing her own singing for the role -- she also does an excellent job of portraying her character. Although hers is not always the most likeable character, Mastrantonio certainly keeps her interesting.
Supporting performances from the likes of Vanessa Martinez ("Lone Star") as the troubled teen, Casey Siemaszko ("Milk Money") as the equally in trouble half brother and even Kris Kristofferson ("Lone Star") in a small, but important role, are all decent.
Shot on location in and around Juneau, the film and five-time Oscar nominated cinematographer Haskell Wexler (with wins for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" and "Bound for Glory") beautifully capture the wonderful Alaskan landscape that also plays a key part in the story. Such high production values certainly give the picture more of a "studio" feel than one would imagine coming from an independent production such as this.
Although there are some odd edits, a few rather short scenes that appear seemingly more out of necessity than natural flow of the story, and an interesting, but standalone moment in a bar where
the characters' dialogue overlaps as it might in a theatrical stage production, the rest of the technical merits are fine.
While the film won't appeal to everyone and the ending might irritate those who stick around long enough to see it, Sayles latest film is intriguing material. As unconventional as its maker, "Limbo" introduces and then leaves several questions unanswered, but is compelling enough and features an appropriately topical ending that should have everyone talking about it once the lights come up. Not perfect, but certainly worth checking out, we give the film a 6.5 out of 10.
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