Something Wild 1986

I watched this because I heard so many favorable comparisons to Scorsese's After Hours. Its similar, almost too similar by the end, but its a great watch and I understand why it appeals more to some audiences, even if After Hours feels way more legit and artistic.

Like After Hours, Something Wild follows a New York yuppie who gets pulled into a wild weekend adventure by a crazy punk rock girl. Most prominently, the opening and closing scenes remind you of After Hours, as it comes full circle and ends how it begins with the characters having"walked on the wild side". But the whole production has similar features: hundreds of colorful bit players, a fun New Wave soundtrack and a focus on the disconnect between social classes and subcultures.Both are inspired by 80s NYC hipsterism, but while AH is a total NY experience about the surrealism and intensity of the city, SW is more about the emotional origins of these NY weirdos. Less the dark absurdist thriller that AH is, SW is a suspenseful screwball comedy loaded with optimism and small humanist laughs. SW is the Megaplex PG-13 version of AH.

Now SW walks a thin line between being cutesy/sentimental and tense/spunky without ever being too cloying or pretentious. I thought the story dragged at times, was too loaded with unbelievable fairytale moments and the climax tried too hard to be dramatic and poignant. Maybe its because the story is very predictable to modern eyes. I'm convinced Something Wild inspired the basic love triangle plotline of Edward Scissorhands and its funny how those two films and Back To The Future make a statement about the modern geeky 80s hero fighting for affection from the 1950s juvenile macho bully. There's really no difference between the villains in these movies, but Ray Liotta probably does the best job in Something Wild. Liotta is magnetic and scary here, full of manic energy and subtle menace. Its really his movie, even though Jeff Daniels and Melanie Griffith do charming jobs in the lead.

Jonathan Demme does a great job. He knows where to put the camera, how to direct professionals and amateurs and he fills the frame with lots of details and eye candy. The varying tones and balance of both would serve him in later films. The film feels more grand and expensive than it is, so its no surprise he would go on to a great career. You can feel the inspiration of Scorsese and the Corman class of directors as he takes a more mainstream and populist turn towards Spielberg and Zemeckis. I felt an appreciation for Godard as well, which explains why this film is so popular with the artsy crowd like Bret Easton Ellis and even has its own Criterion.

So this is a real 80s gem and a fantastic watch that demands to be rewatched. I don't think it makes any grand statements but it was ahead of its time and is a fun time capsule and an amazing showcase for some young talent who would become big in the 1990s.