Alex Cox's alleged last film is an off kilter western based on a Golgo novella refashioned into a warning about the current state of America- specifically the way ICE is taking over the streets.
Cox plays a man named Strindler. He's come to a backwater spaghetti western sort of town, looking to buy the names of dead Mexican laborers. However his plans go sideways, as his weirdness collides with the behavior and greed of those atround him.
Cox, often seeming to channel John Huston in his performance, creates a character that will make you wonder why he didn't take the lead in more films. Cox is hypnotic in a way that few actors ever are. That he can take a character that would have been a supporting player in any other film speaks volumes about how good he is.
Never having read the source novella, I can't speak as to how faithful it is. On the other hand it really doesn't matter since this film is really off kilter. Sure the notion of trying to find out the names of Mexican's in America echoes what ICE is doing, in real life, but that's kind of unintentional since the surreal nature of it all only would have kicked in when Trump was just getting back into office and the was being filmed At the same time this film takes some odd turns with animation and musical numbers appearing seemingly out of nowhere. You would think it shouldn't work, and the truth is it probably shouldn't have, but this is the work of Alex Cox who has made a career out of making things that shouldn't work work (to some degree.)
I really liked this film a great deal, though I'm going to be completely up front and say I still don't know what the hell is going on all along the way. Written by Cox and spaghetti western legend Gianni Garko the film has the weird sense that some of the Euro-westerns have, basically a sort of dream logic that comes when you dream with your face in the pillow. It's a strangeness that makes me want to go again sooner than later.
This is a great film on its own terms and will remind you of of just how the movies can truly make you rethink the world you are in.
Recommended.
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