ALBINO ALLIGATOR
SYNOPSIS:
An inept trio of small time hoods, Dova (Dillon), Milo
(Sinise) and Law (Fichtner), bungle a job and take shelter in a
basement bar, a perfectly maintained relic of the 1920’s
prohibition era. At the same time, a Canadian gun runner escapes
the FBI. Desperate for a car and a clean getaway, the trio take
the five people in the bar hostage, and find themselves
surrounded by Federal agents as well as the police - who believe
they are onto the gun runner. What begins as a confusion of
identities, develops into a question of desperation and the price
we are willing to pay for survival, as the desperation of the
hoods as well as the hostages escalates in the claustrophobic
cellar bar.
"If you like Spacey the actor, you’ll like him
equally as a director. He has made this directing debut as taut
as a coiled spring, as edgy as a psycho on heat and as moving as
a mother dying for her child. Of course, the script helps;
Christian Forte began with the philosophical question, "what
are you willing to sacrifice to survive?" and penned a
thriller that works as a straight genre piece but also on a
deeper level. Like all good movies, you’ll say.
Spacey’s attention to his actors (careful casting, focused
rehearsals and crucial sequences shot chronologically) pay off
with stunning work from all concerned, not the least Faye Dunaway
who sizzles with rekindled fire, and Matt Dillon, who tears
himself apart with the moral dilemmas he has to face. The humour,
scant but crucial to let the drama breathe, is beautifully
handled throughout, as is the tension which begins at the opening credits and never lets up. Intelligent without being clever,
Albino Alligator is a powderkeg of a debut for Spacey, and a
movie that will engage movie fans for generations."
Andrew L. Urban
"Compelling and evocative with superb performances, Kevin
Spacey’s directorial debut boasts a strong script and
focused, imaginative direction. It’s a character driven
plot, with each character so solidly established that we are
almost able to see into their respective minds. The strong script
is uncluttered and contains some surprising touches of humour as
well as unexpected twists and turns. Great tension and atmosphere
are effectively brewed by moody lighting, evocative music (often
percussive) and direction that uses silences and tight close ups
to great effect. The relative lack of graphic violence on screen
in no way minimises the impact: in fact, this is a good example
of how what is NOT seen can be more powerful than seeing blood
and guts spill all over the place. Matt Dillon is his brooding
best as Dova; Gary Sinese, tortured and troubled as his brother
Milo; William Fichtner, violently uncompromising; Faye Dunaway,
multi-layered with a conscience; Skeet Ulrich, quietly
intriguing; Joe Mantegna, solid as the cop. And the large old
movie poster showing Humphrey Bogart watching over the action is
a haunting touch. Catch it, this one is really worth it."
Louise Keller
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Read David Edward's report on Kevin Spacey's press conference in Brisbane in Interviews

Faye Dunaway and director Kevin Spacey

Matt Dillon

William Fichtner

William Fichtner and Gary Sinise
ALBINO ALLIGATOR (MA)
(US)
CAST: Matt Dillon, Gary Sinise, Faye Dunaway, Skeet Ulrich,
Joe Mantegna, William Fichtner, Viggo Mortensen, John Spencer,
M.Emmet Walsh
DIRECTOR: Kevin Spacey
PRODUCER: Brad Krevoy, Steve Stabler, Brad Jenkel
SCRIPT: Christian Forte
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mark Plummer
EDITOR: Jay Cassidy
MUSIC: Michael Brook
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Nelson Coates
RUNNING TIME: 97 minutes
AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR: Columbia TriStar
AUSTRALIAN RELEASE: August 28, 1997 - all capitals, except
Melbourne: Sept 25
AUSTRALIAN VIDEO RELEASE: February 3, 1998
AUSTRALIAN VIDEO DISTRIBUTOR: Columbia TriStar
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