Virgil Bliss (2001)

Director:

Joe Maggio

Writer:

Joe Maggio

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Virgil Bliss is a man obsessed with living a normal life, finding a good job, marrying a decent woman...

Plot Keywords:

Halfway House | Prison | Love | Junkie | Thief

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Clint Jordan	...	Virgil Bliss
Kirsten Russell	...	Ruby
Anthony Gorman	...	Manny
Greg Amici	...	Gillette
Marc Romeo	...	Devo
Anthony Hayden	...	Lester
Tom Brangle	...	Captain
Whitney Hamilton	...	Virgil's Boss
Denny Bess	...	Lombardo
Alejandra Leon	...	Prostitute #2
Richard Biermann	...	Check-Out Guard
Patrick Sullivan	...	Drug Dealer
John Hagemann	...	Big Guard
Patrick Walsh	...	Little Guard
Mike Bubb	...	Prisoner
Ted Hamm	...	Prisoner
Alan Reeder	...	Prisoner
Matthew Auriemma	...	Prisoner
Jason Jones	...	Prisoner

Directed by
Joe Maggio

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Joe Maggio

Produced by
Thierry Cagianut	....	executive producer
Friðrik Þór Friðriksson	....	executive producer (as Fridrik Thor Fridriksson)
Joe Maggio	....	producer
John Maggio	....	producer
Matthew Myers	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Greta Gaines
Anthony Gorman
Clint Jordan

Cinematography by
Harlan Bosmajian		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Elizabeth Downer

Production Management
Matthew Myers	....	unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chris Grant	....	assistant director

Sound Department
T.J. Harkins	....	sound mixer
Jeff Pullman	....	sound mixer
Patrick Sullivan	....	sound mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Foley	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kimberly Matela	....	costumer: correction officers (as Kim Matela)

Other crew
Vilka Tzouras-Bosmajian	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• Concrete Films
• P-Kino

Distributors

• First Run Features (2002) (USA)

Other Companies

• Audio Services  audio gear
• Bjornquist Films  audio gear (as Bjornquist Films)
• Dragonfly  tattoos
• Kitchen Cinema  editing

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Concrete Films

Soundtrack:

Midnight Special

Raw Raw Raw! or Why Joe Maggio is My New Indie Film God

I'd never seen a film by NYC indie filmmaker Joe Maggio before until I watched a double feature of his new film "Bitter Feast" paired with "Virgil Bliss." Both films were exceptional but the real find is this $700 wonder from 2001.

First and foremost are the performances from the three principals, namely Kirsten Russell, whose Ruby easily diminishes the term "Hard as Nails" into an understatement. When she first meets our title character, played with a poignant down-to-earth realism by Clint Jordan, she laughs in his face. She's a dime-hooker who camps out in some of the skeezier parts of New York, nursing a drug problem, and fooling herself into thinking she'll ever see the child she has long bartered away in the process.

The power Russell brings to this role cannot be oversold. You should have every reason to hate this character, but somehow you don't. She plays the role so well that as her rock hardened heart begins to thaw you can't help but have the same (almost ridiculous) hope that Virgil has of making her love herself. A scene where she finally allows herself to bask in his love --- she has to do it in the privacy of their bathroom, fondling and wearing one of his shirts --- could be taught in an acting class.

Anthony Gorman brings a scary vicariousness to the part of Virgil's ex-halfway house roommate --- a perpetual Hell's Angel wannabe who desperately needs someone to make him feel better about himself.

Maggio's writing is superlative. This is a "standard" Straight Time-type story. You know Virgil's in for a rough ride, and everything he encounters rings with just the right amount of toughness, not overplaying the hand for sensationalism's sake but vivid enough to make it all seem too frighteningly real.

This is not a slick movie. There is nothing feel-good or commercial about it. No, it's guerrilla filmmaking John Cassevetes would be proud of and there ain't enough of it, for my taste.