Ask the Dust (2006)

Director:

Robert Towne

Writers (WGA):

Robert Towne (screenplay)
John Fante (novel)

Release Date:

13 April 2006 (Thailand)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Passion and ambition drive two dreamers in 1930s LA. Their love affair is ferocious and hot-blooded as they fight the city and themselves to make their dreams come true.

Plot:

Mexican beauty Camilla hopes to rise above her station by marrying a wealthy American. That is complicated by meeting Arturo Bandini, a first-generation Italian hoping to land a writing career and a blue-eyed blonde on his arm.

Plot Keywords:

Cigarette Smoking | Window | Desert | Burn Scars | Brushing Teeth

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Colin Farrell	...	Arturo Bandini
Salma Hayek	...	Camilla
Donald Sutherland	...	Hellfrick
Eileen Atkins	...	Mrs. Hargraves
Idina Menzel	...	Vera Rivkin
Justin Kirk	...	Sammy
Jeremy Crutchley	...	Solomon
Ronald France	...	Columbia Sweeper
Dion Basco	...	Filipino Houseboy
Donna Mosley	...	Red Headed Girl
Paul Rylander	...	Harold the Bartender
Natasha Staples	...	Denver Librarian
Wayne Harrison	...	Heilman
Yoshimura Yasuhiro	...	Japanese Vegetable Man
Sid	...	Willie the Dog
Danny	...	Willie the Dog
Richard Schickel	...	H. L. Mencken (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tamara Craig Thomas	...	Sally (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Towne

Writing credits (WGA)
Robert Towne		(screenplay)
John Fante		(novel)

Produced by
Tom Cruise	....	producer
Don Granger	....	producer
Andreas Grosch	....	executive producer (as Andy Grosch)
Galit Hakmon McCord	....	co-producer
Kia Jam	....	co-producer
Jonas McCord	....	producer
Redmond Morris	....	executive producer
Chris Roberts	....	executive producer
Mark Roemmich	....	executive producer
Andreas Schmid	....	executive producer
David Selvan	....	executive producer
Paula Wagner	....	producer

Original Music by
Ramin Djawadi
Heitor Pereira

Cinematography by
Caleb Deschanel		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Robert K. Lambert

Casting by
Bob Knotek
Hank McCann

Production Design by
Dennis Gassner

Art Direction by
Tom Hannam
Richard L. Johnson		(supervising art director) (as Richard Johnson)

Set Decoration by
Nancy Haigh

Costume Design by
Albert Wolsky

Makeup Department
Beatrice De Alba	....	personal hair stylist: Salma Hayek and Colin Farrell, additional photography
Sue Michael	....	makeup artist
Colin Polson	....	hair stylist
Loulia Sheppard	....	chief hair stylist (as Lou Sheppard)
Jenny Shircore	....	hair designer
Jenny Shircore	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Arie Bohrer	....	production supervisor: VIP Medienfonds
Debbi Bossi	....	post-production supervisor
Kerstin Dyroff	....	production manager: VIP Medienfonds
Alan Shearer	....	unit production manager
Lester Sweetman	....	unit manager: base camp
Beetle Van Graan	....	unit manager
Patricia Wheeler	....	production manager: South Africa

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nick Dunn	....	third assistant director
Tommy Gormley	....	first assistant director
Will McDonagh	....	second second assistant director
Eric A. Pot	....	second assistant director: US (as Eric Pot)
Sarah Purser	....	second assistant director
Benjamin Rosenberg	....	first assistant director: US

Art Department
Paige Augustine	....	set dresser
David Bastiaans	....	construction foreperson (as Dave Bastiaans)
Jerry Bingham	....	title art
Micheal Brennan	....	stand-by set dresser
Terence Chicken	....	lead greensperson
Chris Cummings	....	art department coordinator: US
Cosmas A. Demetriou	....	set designer
Lyall Gardiner	....	hod stagehand
Ted Haigh	....	graphic designer
Michael Hyman	....	scenic foreman
Noelle King	....	set designer
Louise Martin	....	art department coordinator
Andrew McCarthy	....	set dressing carpenter
John Moolenschot	....	carpenter
Andrew Orlando	....	assistant property master
Hope M. Parrish	....	property master (as Hope Parrish)
Sara Philpott	....	set dressing coordinator
Clive Pollick	....	construction coordinator
Paul Rylander	....	on-set props
Elaine Seidel	....	set finisher
Patte Strong-Lord	....	set designer (as Patte Shibata Strong)
Liz van den Berg	....	scenic artist (as Lizzie van den Berg)
Suzan Wexler	....	set designer
Alex Wheeler	....	red car manufacturer
Darrell L. Wight	....	set designer
Stefan Dechant	....	production illustrator (uncredited)
Scott Owen	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Michael Babcock	....	sound effects editor
Bob Baron	....	adr mixer
Peter Bergren	....	sound effects recordist
Thom Brennan	....	assistant sound editor
Chris Carpenter	....	supervising sound mixer
Joe Dorn	....	supervising adr editor
John P. Fasal	....	sound effects recordist (as John Fasal)
Lee Gilmore	....	sound effects recordist
Robin Harlan	....	foley artist
Scott Hecker	....	supervising sound editor (as Scott A. Hecker)
Jurgen Human	....	boom operator
Elizabeth Kenton	....	dialogue editor
Andy Koyama	....	supervising sound mixer
Nico Louw	....	sound mixer
Bernard Marcus	....	boom operator
Bill Meadows	....	sound recordist
Sarah Monat	....	foley artist
Eric A. Norris	....	sound effects editor
Mark Pappas	....	foley editor
Roy Seeger	....	assistant sound editor
Randy Singer	....	foley mixer (as Randy K. Singer)
Greg ten Bosch	....	assistant sound editor
Nick Towne	....	adr consultant
Jerome Williams	....	cable person
Eric Taylor Williamson	....	adr recordist
Byron Wilson	....	dialogue editor
John Clavin	....	sound engineer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Kevin Adcock	....	special effects coordinator
August Coleman	....	paint/roto artist
Doug Hardy	....	special effects foreperson: alien sequence
Adam Horton	....	special effects
Tyrell Kemlo	....	special effects technician
Cordell McQueen	....	special effects supervisor
John K. Stirber	....	special effects supervisor (as John Stirber)
Anton Voster	....	special effects assistant
Kevin Pike	....	special effects supervisor: second unit (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Neil Atkins	....	CG supervisor: Double Edge Digital
Shawn Booth	....	visual effects editor
Kevin Braun	....	digital optical supervisor: Pacific Title & Art Studio
Nicholas Caramonta	....	compositor
Albert Chang	....	3D modeler: Double Edge Digital
Sarah Chang	....	rotoscoper: Double Edge Digital
Kay Chan	....	rotoscoper: Double Edge Digital
Roger Chao	....	lead modeler: Double Edge Digital
Gary Chen	....	rotoscoper: Double Edge Digital
Thomas Clary	....	digital optical coordinator: Pacific Title & Art Studio (as Tom Clary)
Bill Coffin	....	Inferno artist: Post Logic Studios
Robert Cribbett	....	compositing supervisor: main titles, yU+Co
Dominic Daigle	....	digital artist
Alan De Castro	....	digital optical artist: Pacific Title & Art Studio
David Drzewiecki	....	visual effects supervisor
Emily Fenster	....	associate visual effects producer: Pacific Title & Art Studio
John Follmer	....	visual effects executive producer: Double Edge Digital
Diego Galtieri	....	compositor: Double Edge Digital
David Geoghegan	....	digital optical artist: Pacific Title & Art Studio
Buddy Gheen	....	compositing supervisor
Brian Hanable	....	digital effects compositor: Pacific Title & Art Studio
Dark Hoffman	....	matte painter: Double Edge Digital
Phillip Hoffman	....	visual effects coordinator: Pacific Title & Art Studio
Bill Holloway	....	visual effects compositor: Pacific Title & Art Studio
Matthew W. Johnson	....	iq artist: Post Logic Studios
Josh Kent	....	3D artist: Lola Visual Effects
Richard Kidd	....	visual effects supervisor: Double Edge Digital
Robyn Marie Kralik	....	compositor: Double Edge Digital (as Robyn Kralik)
Wing Kwok	....	rotoscoper: Double Edge Digital
Keith Lackey	....	technical supervisor: Double Edge Digital
David Huynh Lam	....	3D modeler: Double Edge Digital (as David Lam)
Ladd Lanford	....	visual effects producer: Pacific Title & Art Studio
Chui Lee	....	3D texturer: Double Edge Digital
Michael Lloyd	....	matte painter: Double Edge Digital
Andrew Midgley	....	visual effects producer: Double Edge Digital
Robert W. Morgenroth	....	visual effects producer: Double Edge Digital (as Robert Morgenroth)
Thomas Nittmann	....	visual effects producer: Lola Visual Effects
Brian Nugent	....	3D artist: Lola Visual Effects
Chris Patrick O'Connell	....	3D modeler: Double Edge Digital (as Chris O'Connell)
Patrick Phillips	....	visual effects compositor: Pacific Title & Art Studio
Steve Porter	....	digital manager: Double Edge Digital
Ryan Reeb	....	lead tracker: Double Edge Digital
James Rim	....	digital optical artist: Pacific Title & Art Studio (as James Chui Rim)
Arthur Sarkisian	....	3D lighter: Double Edge Digital
Robert Scifo	....	matte painter: Double Edge Digital
Christian Severin	....	visual effects
Neil Simpson	....	visual effects artist: Condor Post Cape Town
Matthew Desmond Smith	....	visual effects artist: Condor Post Cape Town
David Sosalla	....	visual effects supervisor: Pacific Title & Art Studio
Bill Spradlin	....	digital effects artist
Colin Strause	....	3D technical supervisor: Lola Visual Effects
Greg Strause	....	visual effects supervisor: Lola Visual Effects
Panat Thamrongsombutsakul	....	3D tracker: Double Edge Digital
Jamie Venable	....	visual effects executive producer: Svengali Visual Effects
Heiko von Fintel	....	visual effects artist: Condor Post Cape Town
Edson Williams	....	lead Inferno artist: Lola Visual Effects
Loeng Wong-Savun	....	visual effects artist
Steve Woo	....	visual effects operations manager: Double Edge Digital
Kevin W. Wright	....	digital optical coordinator: Pacific Title & Art Studio (as Kevin Wright)
Tom Yeh	....	3D modeler: Double Edge Digital
Francis Yu	....	digital optical artist: Pacific Title & Art Studio (as Francis C. Yu)
Chih-Min Chang	....	visual effects coordinator (uncredited)
Jesse Rapczak	....	previz artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Daryl Andrews	....	stunt performer
Dermot Brogan	....	stunt performer
Kerry Gregg	....	stunt performer
Grant Hulley	....	stunt coordinator
Dan Hurst	....	stunt double: Justin Kirk
Dan Hurst	....	stunt performer
Jacob Mervine	....	stunt performer
John Smith	....	stunt performer
Franz Spilhaus	....	stunt performer (as Frans Spilhaus)
Janine Wyatt-Mair	....	stunt performer
Francois Grobbelaar	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Darren Bailey	....	remote camera technician
Neil Baillie	....	second assistant camera
Alan Barnes	....	chief rigging electrician
Peter Belcher	....	second camera operator
David Bloomer	....	still photographer
Jan Bosch	....	electrician
Trevor Michael Brown	....	additional camera operator
Greg Cameron	....	rigging grip: first company
Pete Cavaciuti	....	camera operator (as Peter Cavaciuti)
Pete Cavaciuti	....	steadicam operator (as Peter Cavaciuti)
Michael Corker	....	film loader
Bernie De Wet	....	rigging electrician
Daniel Du Toit	....	first assistant camera (as Dabie Du Toit)
Anthony English	....	video assist operator
Robert Fischer	....	grip: second company (as Rob Fischer)
Vincent Fletcher	....	chief lighting technician
Jean-Pierre Hankins	....	rigging electrician (as JP Hankins)
Mark Hardy	....	grip
Norbert Kitshoff	....	remote camera technician
Brett Lamerton	....	rigging grip: second company
Brett McDowell	....	grip
Guy Micheletti	....	dolly grip
Guy Micheletti	....	grip: first company
Ernest Mtshakazana	....	rigging grip: second company (as Ernst Mtshakazana)
Gavin Nel	....	rigging electrician
Lourence Nepfumbada	....	grip (as Lawrence Nepfumbada)
Bruce Olinder	....	chief lighting technician: second unit
Justin Paterson	....	electrician (as Justin Patterson)
Sean Rau	....	second assistant camera
Gilliam Schoombee	....	electrician
Wayne Shields	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Stephen Vaughan	....	special photography
Gareth Viner	....	grip
Adi Visser	....	first assistant camera

Animation Department
Sanit Lin	....	3D animator: Double Edge Digital
Tal Peleg	....	3D animator: Double Edge Digital

Casting Department
Monique Bezuidenhout	....	casting assistant
Chris Bustard	....	extras casting: additional photography
Anna Feyder	....	casting associate: South Africa (as Ana Feyder)
Celestia Fox	....	casting associate: UK
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Jackie Mayou	....	extras casting
Hank McCann	....	casting: US

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rick de Souza	....	costumer
Susan Hall	....	assistant costume designer
Jacomina Jankowitz	....	costumer
Neil McClean	....	costumer
Moira Anne Meyer	....	costume supervisor (as Moira Meyer)

Editorial Department
Kenny Becker	....	color timer
Mark Bourgeois	....	associate editor
Darwin Green	....	post-production assistant
Laurence Johnson	....	post-production assistant (as Lawrence Johnson)
Pamela March	....	associate editor
Bryan McMahan	....	digital colorist: Post Logic Studios
Ryan Michael Miller	....	pre-visualization editor: yU+co
Mary Nelson-Duerrstein	....	negative cutter (as Mary Nelson-Fraser)
Jim Passon	....	color timer
Nicci Van Niekerk	....	associate editor

Music Department
Slamm Andrews	....	score music mixer
Slamm Andrews	....	score recordist
Dick Bernstein	....	temp soundtrack music editor
Jeffrey Biggers	....	assistant score engineer (as Jeff Biggers)
Sally Boldt	....	music editor
Emir Isilay	....	assistant composer
Steven Kofsky	....	music production services
Sandrine Pecher	....	score technical advisor
Sandrine Pecher	....	technical score advisor
Julie Sessing	....	music clearance
Greg Vines	....	assistant score engineer
Hans Zimmer	....	score producer

Transportation Department
David Glasscoe	....	action vehicle coordinator
Bizeki Magwanda	....	driver: Robert Towne
Vincent Ndikumana	....	driver: Robert Towne
Brad Saunders	....	transportation captain
Bradley Sweetman	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Cassandra Barbour	....	rights and clearances
Charles Bazaldua	....	adr loop group
Bouchra Bendanna	....	production assistant
Robert Bentley	....	location manager
Keah Bews	....	production coordinator
Charlie Bolwell	....	production coordinator: Los Angeles
Paul Brassell	....	unit assistant
Philippa Bresler	....	assistant: Robert Towne
Jeff Buitenveld	....	assistant: Don Granger
Archie Casson	....	assistant accountant
Catherine Charlton	....	dialect coach: Mr. Farrell
Karissa Corday	....	adr loop group
Grace Dames	....	assistant accountant
Vicki Davis	....	adr loop group (as Vickie Davis)
John DeMita	....	adr loop group
Kira Dominguez	....	assistant: Salma Hayek (as Kira Dominquez)
Judi M. Durand	....	adr loop group (as Judi Durand)
Claudine Farrell	....	assistant: Colin Farrell
Jeff Fischer	....	adr loop group (as Jeffrey Todd Fischer)
Nick Fischer	....	assistant: Chris Roberts
Ortwin Freyermuth	....	legal services: Freyermuth & Associates
Katy Fyfe	....	assistant location manager
Jonathan Gardner	....	production counsel: Cohen & Gardner
Brian Gibbs	....	supervising production accountant (as Brian L. Gibbs)
Anneliese Goldman	....	adr loop group (as Anneliese Goldmann)
Joanne Goldstone	....	production accountant
Gina Goosen	....	assistant: Redmond Morris
Lathiem Groenmeyer	....	IT coordinator
Sissy Grover	....	production coordinator
Nicole Haeussermann	....	production coordinator: Ascendant Pictures
Andy Hirsch	....	adr loop group
Genevieve Hofmeyr	....	executive: Moonlighting Films
Leah Holmes	....	accountant: US
Gerhard Jakubowski	....	production executive
Sally Jones	....	script supervisor
Sheila Kerrigan	....	assistant: Christopher Eberts
Elliott Kleinberg	....	legal services: Kleinberg Lope Lange Cuddy & Edel
Daamen J. Krall	....	adr loop group (as Daamen Krall)
Marsha Kramer	....	adr loop group
Carlos Lacamara	....	adr loop group
Liesl Lategan	....	production assistant
M.J. Magbanua	....	unit publicist
Myrto Makrides	....	assistant script supervisor
Asal Masomi	....	publicist
Yuki Matsuzaki	....	adr loop group
Jeremy Maxwell	....	adr loop group
David Michie	....	adr loop group
Darren Miller	....	executive: Cruise/Wagner
Ryan Michael Miller	....	title sequence: yU+co.
Pieka Moolman	....	assistant production coordinator
Michael S. Murphey	....	film finances representative
Eva Neufahrt	....	controller: VIO Mediendonds (as Eva-Marie Neufahrt)
Andrew Novak	....	production assistant: additional photography (as Andy Novak)
Leah Palen	....	production coordinator: USA
Iain Patton	....	production assistant
Noreen Reardon	....	adr loop group
Dezi Rorich	....	unit publicist
Arik Ruchim	....	assistant: Paula Wagner
John Schimmel	....	president of production: Ascendant Pictures
Garth Scholtz	....	production assistant
Vernon Scott	....	adr loop group
Claudia Sendlbeck-Schickor	....	tax advisor: McDermott Will & Emery
Laura Sevier	....	rights and clearances
Mpumi Simayile	....	assistant accountant (as Mpumi Sima Yile)
Brandon Starler	....	adr loop group
Boo Boo Stewart	....	adr loop group
Andrew Strachan	....	production secretary
Luke Summers	....	medic
Yutaka Takeuchi	....	adr loop group
Jodi Tripi	....	rights and clearances
Tom Udell	....	accountant: US
J.P. van der Merwe	....	extras coordinator
Christine Vienna	....	assistant to executive producer
Jeremy Wall	....	production finance consultant
Andreana Weiner	....	adr loop group
Berit Wetzel	....	legal counsel: VIP Meidenfonds
Laura Wilcox	....	assistant accountant (as Laura Willcox)
Trish Wylie	....	production coordinator: pre-production
Jeff Yana	....	systems administrator
Garson Yu	....	title designer
Ruth Zalduondo	....	adr loop group

Thanks
Dede Allen	....	thanks
Warren Beatty	....	thanks
Robbie Robertson	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures
• Cruise/Wagner Productions
• Ascendant Pictures
• Capitol Films
• Moonlighting Films (production services)
• Noble House Entertainment Pictures (uncredited)
• VIP 3 Medienfonds

Distributors

• Capitol Films (2005) (non-USA) (all media) (sales)
• Bazuca Films (2007) (Chile) (theatrical)
• Benelux Film Distribution (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2006) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Constantin Film (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2006) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• E Stars Films (2005) (China) (all media)
• Imagem Filmes (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paradise Group (2005) (Russia) (all media)
• Paramount Vantage (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• SND (2006) (France) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Double Edge Digital (visual effects)
• Pacific Title and Art Studio (visual effects and digital opticals)
• Lola Visual Effects (visual effects)
• Condor Post Cape Town (visual effects)
• Post Logic Studios (digital laboratory)
• Svengali Visual Effects (title matte paintings and 3D animation) (as Svengali)

Other Companies

• Central Casting  extras casting
• Cohen & Gardner  production counsel
• Comerica Bank of California  financing bank
• DeLuxe Laboratories  color
• Eastman Kodak Company  printed on
• Elizabeth Bardsley & Associates  research
• Entertainment Clearances  rights and clearances
• Film Finance  completion guarantor (as Film Finances Inc.)
• Freyermuth & Associates  legal services
• Kleinberg, Lopez, Lange, Cuddy, Edel & Klein  legal services
• Manhattan Transfer  adr facility
• McDermott, Will & Emery  tax advisor: VIP Meidenfonds
• Moonlighting Films  South African production services by
• Remote Camera Systems  remote camera systems
• Remote Control Productions  score mixed at
• Sessing Music Services  music clearance
• The Food Lab  catering
• yU+Co.  main title designed and produced by

MPAA:

Rated R or some sexuality, nudity and language.

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #41719) | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:13 | Singapore:R21 | UK:15 | Germany:12 | Ireland:15A | Finland:K-11 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Canada:14A (Ontario) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, South Africa

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The rights to the novel once belonged to Mel Brooks. However, the rights had lapsed.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the beach scene, before sunset, the ocean is on the left, and the shadows are stretching towards the camera. This cannot happen in L.A., where the ocean is in the west and sun is in the south. This reveals that these shots were taken on South Africa's west coast, where the sun is north of the zenith.

Quotes:

Vera Rivkin: [Vera is half-asleep in her bed. As Arturo is leaving, he reaches down and takes her hand] You're very kind.

Movie Connections:

References The Sin of Nora Moran (1933)

Soundtrack:

Blue Drag

Beautiful Looking Depression Era L.A. Hosts Ethnic Clashing American Dreams and Sexy Romance

"Ask the Dust" has excellent elements that almost come together as a whole.

Like "End of the Affair" and "The White Countess", it surrounds a fraught love affair with exquisite looking period recreation that almost sucks the life out of it. (As with those films, the senior citizens at my matinée really enjoyed the period aspect.) Set in a sepia-tinged Depression-era Los Angeles of polluted palm trees, it is populated equally by youthful blond California girls and boys and old people at the end of the continent and their lines, as symbolized by Donald Sutherland's begging boarding house neighbor, like a ghost from his role in "The Day of the Locust".

What saves the film is the frank dialog and odd sparks between Colin Farrell, as repressed Italian-American writer from Colorado, novelist John Fante's alter ego with the even more ethnically redolent name of "Arturo Bandini", and Salma Hayak as a non-stereotyped Mexican spitfire "Camilla Lopez". Their repartee about their biases is raw and fresh.

Significantly, they are not the usual naive teen lovers, but are adults with mileage who are striving to change the trajectory of their lives. In this discrimination-filled, pre-celebration of the melting pot/rainbow environment (heavy-handedly demonstrated such as by their viewing Ruby Keeler's famous line from "Dames" "I'm free, white, and 21."), both are trying to make it in a specific image of the American Dream, a non-ethnic one, though we hear very little about their own sense of their ethnic identity. She is even dating a nasty guy named White in the vain hope of obtaining a green card and citizenship.

Hayak's character is the easier to understand, as we see her exuberate in vibrant blue moonlight when she feels free with him, especially in vivid ocean scenes (she is absolutely stunning swimming naked), and then in bright light at a seashore idyll. This gorgeous scene gives "From Here to Eternity" a run for its money as the sexiest crashing of waves coupling in the movies. Though after all her sexually aggressive seduction efforts, their lovemaking is lit beautifully in the dark but conventionally choreographed as I expected her to demand more equality in bed. But then she's already started coughing with Movie Star Disease, even if it's explained more in the plot than usual.

Even with his constant florid more than bordering on pretentious narration, sometimes in an exaggerated lower register, of his writing efforts (with the usual scenes of paper being ripped out a manual typewriter as he receives encouragement from H. L. Mencken) that doesn't really thematically integrate into the film until the end, it is harder to understand why it takes so long to get his uptight clothes off despite many importunings. There is an unusually sweet flirtation over literacy, but it seemed more like condescension on his part, especially to help her get citizenship, than sharing with her his love of words. The non-narrated scenes are a relief and are beautiful to look at, as the cinematography of Caleb Deschanel (dad of actresses Zoey and Emily) is consistently lovely.

But then Farrell is surrounded by eccentric characters who are all hiding emotional or physical scars until he can face up to his own to find his real writer's voice. Idina Menzel's "Vera Rifkin" is a well-educated Jewish housekeeper whose California dreams (or borderline crazed fantasies) are for some reason now focused on being a writer's muse.

Surprisingly, there is very little period music, maybe for budget reasons. A prominent and excellent selection is Artie Shaw's version of "Gloomy Sunday" which has its own legend of love and death. The score is sometimes intrusive and not as evocative of the clashing ethnic traditions as it could have been.