Trees Lounge Details

Steve Buscemi once claimed he'd have been a bar bum had his acting career not taken off, and it's tempting to assume that several of the characters in this, his directorial debut, hail from the time when he was “resting”. This is indie film-making à la John Cassavetes rather than Quentin Tarantino, with the humour being understated, the drama credible, the dialogue having an everyday ring and the performances ideally suited to a world of regrets and whiskey chasers. If the camerawork is occasionally prone to showiness, the atmosphere of both the neighbourhood Buscemi prowls in his ice-cream van and the Trees Lounge itself is totally authentic.

A slice of bar-room life, as desultory and apparently aimless as the real thing, but also managing to suggest a few home truths along the way.