The Caveman's Valentine (2001)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Kasi Lemmons

Writers (WGA):

George Dawes Green (novel)
George Dawes Green (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 September 2001 (Malaysia)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Music | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Romulus Ledbetter lives on the edge. The view is incredible.

Plot:

A cave-dwelling man sets out to track down the killer of a homeless boy and bring him to justice.

Plot Keywords:

New York City | New York Skyline | Punctuation In Title | Insanity | Homelessness

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson	...	Romulus Ledbetter
Colm Feore	...	David Leppenraub
Ann Magnuson	...	Moira Leppenraub
Damir Andrei	...	Arnold
Aunjanue Ellis	...	Officer Lulu Ledbetter
Tamara Tunie	...	Sheila Ledbetter
Peter MacNeill	...	Cork
Jay Rodan	...	Joey Peasley / No-Face
Rodney Eastman	...	Matthew
Anthony Michael Hall	...	Bob
Kate McNeil	...	Betty
Leonard L. Thomas	...	Shaker / Greater No-Face (as Leonard Thomas)
Joris Jarsky	...	Boy Toy / Andy (as Joris Jorsky)
Pierre Alcide	...	Toupee
Richard Fitzpatrick	...	Walter

Also Known As:

The Sign of the Killer (UK) (video title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some violence and sexuality.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-15 | Malaysia:18PL | Netherlands:12 | Netherlands:16 (VHS/DVD rating) | South Korea:18 | UK:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Germany:12 | Norway:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bryant Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Franchise Pictures

Trivia:

Cornelius Gould Stuyvesant supposedly resides at the top of the Chrysler Building.

Goofs:

Continuity: In one shot when Bob and Betty toast Romulus in his new suit, Bob's "z-ray" green drink is orange (though this may have been intentional, since it is unclear if the "z-rays" are simply in Romulus's mind).

Quotes:

David Leppenraub: Does it hurt? It's supposed to.

Soundtrack:

Regnava nel Silenzio from Lucia di Lammermoor

Fantasy becomes reality

I picked this up in the video store not knowing what to expect and was I pleasantly surprised. This film is a real work of art and works on many levels. First, the direction is magnificent. Lemmons works magic blending reality with flashbacks, imaginings and fantasies. Weaving all these together is a true feat. This is a film one could watch without the sound just to appreciate the images.

Second, the arts that are portrayed are excellent, from the dancing to the music to the photography. Lemmons has a fantastic arts sense.

Third, the performances. Jackson is magnificent. A musician who cannot take the pressure of his career and of the context in which he must perform yet maintains his artistic sensibility. Like so many real people, his fears become externalized, but he still maintains a sense of his reality. And it is this sense which makes his character credible when it comes to the plot.

The plot is a good mystery but would have been hackneyed in lesser hands. And the plot works on at least two levels. Romulus may be crazy, but he knows what is going on and the images of his wife beautifully portrayed by Tamara Tunie keeps Romulus grounded. And since this is a character driven film, this conflict between Romulus's fears and fantasies with the realities he finds himself in, works beautifully thanks to Jackson's performance. On the second level the mystery qua mystery also works well. There are enough confusions to keep the viewer guessing.

All in all a great film.