"American Tabloid," is a 91-minute student film based on the first volume of Ellroy's "Underworld U.S.A. Trilogy." The film was written and directed by Andy Miller, a gifted young Ohio-based filmmaker.
According to Miller, the film was made for virtually no money with rented equipment. It is filmed in black and white and the soundtrack consists primarily of late '50s, early-'60s tracks from popular recording artists of the time (noteably, Frank Sinatra).
Andy Miller also portrays F.B.I. agent Ward J. Littell, a third of the triumvirate of primary characters who drive Ellroy's novel.
The filmmaker, who created his piece over a period of a year-and-a half at age 16-plus, puts it this way: "Fans of American Tabloid and James Ellroy who watch this movie have to use their imagination and take into consideration the setbacks involved in making it, and if they do, I think they will like it."
ELLROY'S WORLD REVIEW
Theatre, film...it's all about that suspension of disbelief. This no-budget film by Andy Miller, an aspiring young filmmaker in the Midwest, requires a bit more suspension than other Ellroy adaptations out there.
By Miller's own admission, his oldest performer was 19-years-old at the time of filming.
SUVs and 1990s-model cars abound.
Some of the performers appear to be wearing their fathers' suit coats.
Because the adaptation was filmed over a considerable period of time, there are some distracting continuity gaffes (for instance, the young actor portraying Pete Bondurant changes hairstyles from scene to scene).
Some of Ellroy's proper names also suffer from time to time (Bondurant, which should sound like "restaurant," is often mispronounced. Also, Ward Littell as in kiss-and-tell becomes Ward Little).
That said, if you go with it, it's a good ride. And, despite the inherent limitations, Miller delivers a number of powerful scenes.
Miller is most effective in staging violence: a shootout in a parking lot....a knife fight in the snow outside a homosexual night club....an execution by knife....Pete Bondurant's savage beating of Ward Littell.
Several of the young actors also effectively nail their targets. Particularly fine are Jake Legros, who makes for a youngish, brutish Pete Bondurant in the Russell Crowe mode. I was also impressed by the actor portraying Ward Littell, who, when the credits rolled, proved to be writer/director Andy Miller.
David Holmes was quite good as an oily, prissy J. Edgar Hoover.
Although the character figured less in the film than the novel, Matt Yoho was disarming as Howard Hughes. Not the drug-addled, disease-obsessed figure of Ellroy's novel, Yoho's Hughes borrows a turn from Robert De Niro in "Angel Heart": during the opening scene with Pete Bondurant, Yoho devours a whole, hardboiled egg a metaphor for soul-eating.
Charles Son, who portrays Nestor Delsol, was also a standout.
Craig McDonald
CAST
Pete Bondurant Jake Legros
Kemper Boyd Ryan McMullen
Ward Littell Andy Miller
Jimmy Hoffa Dave McMahaon
John F. Kennedy Zack Arner
Robert Kennedy Ian Kalmbaugh
Carlos Marcello Roy Gordon
Barbara Jahelka Jeannette Giamarco
Nestor Delsol Charles Son
J. Edgar Hoover David Holmes
Fred Turentine Bryan Kendall
Lenny Sands Matt Barrows
Sam Giancana Ryan Huffman
Guy Bannister Matt Bey
Johnny Roselli Justin Vinning
Howard Hughes Matt Yoho
Laura Hughes Kate Madsen
Graylin Lockhart Alex Wienhardt
Alfred Guiterrez Andy Hookman
Thomas Gordean James Falkoff
Jack Ruby Doug Garris
John Stanton Aaron Slomovitz
Anton Gretzler Jeff Mobley
Gail Hendee Heather Clingerman
Tony "The Icepick" Innanone Steve Hamilton
Drug Dealer #2 Brian Maxwell
Drug Dealer #3 Erick Odell
Drug Dealer #4 Matt Woods
