Putting two quirky characters in a car together for wacky adventures can be a winning formula. When you add in hilarious supporting performances, you should walk away from the tables a winner. But something is missing from Saint John of Las Vegas, and it is not just the city of Las Vegas.  Despite a few laughs, memorable characters and some good performances, this film is a loser. 

John (Steve Buscemi) is a former Las Vegas gambler who now works for a New Mexico insurance company. But he still cannot resist instant lottery tickets, even when he has little money. He is attracted to goofy co-worker Jill (Sarah Silverman), who favors smiley face nail polish and seems to like him. But a promotion at work may be the start of a new lucky streak when his boss (Peter Dinklage) sends him to Las Vegas with investigator Virgil (Romany Malco) to prove that a stripper filed a fraudulent accident claim. As they drive through the desert towards the outskirts of Las Vegas, Virgil and John sleep in their car, encounter nudists, meet with sideshow acts and face men with guns before their trip is over. Along the way, John faces his gambling demons and tries to change his life.

 Steve Buscemi, who is starting to look like Don Knotts, is entirely believable as the insecure, needy gambler who lacks social skills with women. Buscemi plays John with vulnerability that makes him likeable. We cringe when he jokes with the salesgirl at a convenience store as he spends his last twenty dollars on scratch off lottery tickets. But we feel for him when he says with self deprecation, “When I lived in Las Vegas I had plenty of luck. Most of it was bad.” The slowly thawing relationship between John and Virgil (Romany Malco) works due to the charisma of Buscemi and Malco. Virgil is the ultimate cool guy, and Malco exudes cool. When Virgil tells John to investigate the stripper by posing as a lonely guy in need of attention, John balks and tells Vigil to do it. “Yeah, I am a lonely guy looking for attention,” Virgil sneers. Malco delivers the line with calm certainty that no one would ever believe he would be lonely. Malco’s deliberate manner and Buscemi’s jittery presence elevate the somewhat lackluster plot.

However, the funniest moments in this film belong to Sarah Silverman and Peter Dinklage, and I wish we saw more of both these actors. Silverman is charming and adorable as Jill, who tells John she loves him after one encounter in the restroom. All of her scenes are funny. Peter Dinklage is hilarious as he brags to John about his affair with Jill and shouts orders at his employees.  After his promotion, John asks if he will make more money. In the film’s funniest scene, Dinklage holds up his hand and with exaggerated shock says, “Whoa, we just ordered cocktails. You need to get me drunk before you molest me.”

Although John and Virgil have amusing picaresque adventures on their road trip, the script by Hue Rhodes  goes nowhere. The lure of gambling and John’s addiction is interesting, but never fully explored.  The stops along the way are funny, but ultimately meaningless. The characters are compelling, but we never learn more about them. The twist at the end of the film and the resolution of John’s gambling problem are unsatisfying and too pat.  And while the characters are supposed to be close to Las Vegas, John only gambles in what looks like a small bar in a strip mall that could be anywhere.  Perhaps the budget dictated that all of the film should be shot in New Mexico, but the title of the film, and all of the discussion about John’s life in Las Vegas and his mixed emotions about the city seemed to demand a climax in glittery Las Vegas.

Despite the excellent performances and quirky characters, Saint John of Las Vegas manages to be much less than the sum of its parts. When this road trip ends, you are left wondering if it was worth the price of the gas.

Saint John of Las Vegas.  Directed by Hue Rhodes.  Steve Buscemi (John), Romany Malco (Virgil), Sarah Silverman (Jill) and Peter Dinklage (Mr. Townsend). IndieVest Pictures, 2010.

 

Gail sees a movie appears every Wednesday.

 

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