Rick (2003)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Curtiss Clayton

Writer:

Daniel Handler (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Envy, lust, murder...business as usual.

Plot:

"Rigoletto" retold at Christmas time in Manhattan's corporate world. Rick, an executive at Image, is a jerk to a woman applying for a job...

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Bill Pullman	...	Rick O'Lette
Aaron Stanford	...	Duke
Agnes Bruckner	...	Eve O'Lette
Sandra Oh	...	Michelle
Dylan Baker	...	Buck
Emmanuelle Chriqui	...	Duke's Long-Suffering Wife
Marianne Hagan	...	Laura
Jerome Preston Bates	...	Lobby Guard
Jamie Harris	...	Mick
Paz de la Huerta	...	Vicki
Marin Rathje	...	Mrs. O'Lette in Picture
William Ryall	...	Rick's Doorman
Daniel Handler	...	Perky Waiter
Dennis Parlato	...	BusinessTalk Anchor
P.J. Brown	...	Jack Lantern
Haviland Morris	...	Jane
Todd A. Kovner	...	Jed (as Todd Kovner)
Dan Moran	...	Timothy the Storage Attendant
Kim Thompson	...	New Receptionist (as Kimberly Anne Thompson)
Vita Haas	...	Party Girl
Susan Porro	...	Anne Balin
Andrew Appel	...	Ambitious Exec
Chris Skoglund	...	Annoying Exec
Robert Gerard Larkin	...	Harried Exec
R. Brandon Johnson	...	Fawning Exec
Brian Faherty	...	Clowning Exec
Josh Casaubon	...	Handsome Exec
Robin Goldsmith	...	Genial Exec
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ben Hauck	...	Cigar Smoker (uncredited)
Susan Monson	...	Sue (uncredited)

Directed by
Curtiss Clayton

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Daniel Handler		writer

Produced by
Allen Bain	....	line producer
Ruth Charny	....	producer
Jim Czarnecki	....	producer
Edward R. Pressman	....	executive producer
John Schmidt	....	executive producer
Sofia Sondervan	....	producer

Original Music by
Ted Reichman

Cinematography by
Lisa Rinzler

Film Editing by
Curtiss Clayton

Casting by
Sig De Miguel
Amanda Mackey Johnson
Cathy Sandrich
Wendy Weidman

Set Decoration by
Heather Loeffler

Costume Design by
Alysia Raycraft

Makeup Department
Sheri Kornhaber	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Monica Hampton	....	production manager
Douglas Salkin	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roger M. Bobb	....	first assistant director
Daniel Elefante	....	second second assistant director
Jason Graham	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Jose Pavon	....	property master

Sound Department
Chris David	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Esparza	....	sound effects supervisor
Robert Jackson	....	supervising sound editor
Chris Navarro	....	adr recordist
Stuart Provine	....	sound effects editor
Theresa Radka	....	sound
Terry Rodman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sean Wright	....	sound recordist

Visual Effects by
Miguel Hernandez	....	digital artist

Camera and Electrical Department
George Bianchini	....	Steadicam operator
Ben Bloodwell	....	first assistant camera
Bernard X. Brongniart	....	electrician
Gary Jackiewicz	....	grip
Paul McCluskey	....	key grip
Alan McIntyre Smith	....	gaffer (as Alan Smith)
Craig Striano	....	third grip
David Troutman	....	grip
Dana Turken	....	second assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Catherine Osborne	....	wardrobe department assistant

Editorial Department
Tricia Chiarenza	....	color timer

Music Department
Stephen French	....	composer: additional music
Jeffrey Potokar	....	assistant music editor
H. Anton Riehl	....	music arranger: song
Angie Rubin	....	music editor
Mark Schulz	....	composer: additional music
Paul Stoney	....	composer: additional music

Other crew
Robyn Alcock	....	assistant production coordinator
Ben Feldman	....	production legal services
Patrick Huber	....	set production intern
Stephen Jensen	....	second team
Nora Killoran	....	production coordinator
Brendan MacDevette	....	production assistant
Josh Newport	....	key production assistant
Patrick Russell	....	assistant: Sofia Sondervan
Frank Simonetti	....	location manager
Kim Thompson	....	production assistant: first team
Marisa Wu	....	assistant location manager
Melinda Ziyadat	....	set intern

Production Companies

• Big Boss LLC
• ContentFilm
• Ruth Charny Productions

Distributors

• ContentFilm International (2003) (worldwide) (all media) (sales agency)
• Sundance Channel Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (video)
• Vitagraph Films

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content and language.

Runtime:

Canada:100 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | USA:R

Company:

Big Boss LLC

Trivia:

Rick takes his daughter to dinner at Verdi's, a restaurant named after the composer of 'Rigoletto', the opera from which the movie is drawn. While they dine, the music playing in the background is "La donna è mobile", the Duke's aria from the last act of the opera.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Buck gives his business card to Rick, it has a '666' phone number, but when Rick uses the business card in Eve's bedroom to set up the hit, the phone number starts with '555'.

Quotes:

Michelle: Okay, you can do this Rick. You can humiliate me, and mock me, and insult me and get me fired.
Rick O'Lette: Look I didn't know...
Michelle: But you know what? You're still an evil person, Rick. You hurt an innocent person and you will pay for it. I curse you Rick. You're an evil person with an evil soul, and it'll come back to you, it will come right back at you. I curse you, Rick O'Lette. It will come right back at you.

Movie Connections:

Features American Psycho (2000)

Soundtrack:

Great Wooden Bridge

The curse

"Rick" is loosely based on Rigoletto, the tragic clown of Verdi's opera. Don't look to this film to find any parallel between the tragic court jester and the man at the center of it, Rick O'Lette, as the film is loosely based on the opera.

Curtiss Clayton, an editor who has started to direct his own projects, is an enormously talented man, as he shows with this indie film that we missed when it was released. "Rick" also has the powerful writing of Daniel Handler, who wrote the screen play. The film was a neat discovery, perhaps because we had no expectations of what was coming. Much credit is owed to its director who shows great style in telling the story for the screen.

If you haven't seen the film, perhaps you would like to stop reading here.

Rick, who we meet at the beginning of the film walking to his office, is one of the new breed of heartless executives, occupying important places within a company. As such, he is a man that feels above and beyond people like Michelle, an eager job applicant, who commits the sin of entering Rick's office when she shouldn't, only to interrupt Rick from watching the results of sports on his computer. When he finally calls her, he proceeds to belittle the young woman in a manner that is completely uncalled for. Of course, Michelle doesn't get the job!

We then meet Rick's boss, a ninety day wonder called Duke, who is just as obtuse as his employee, and much younger. A punk in business attire. Duke is just a repulsive individual who loves to visit porno chat rooms to get his kicks. Later that night while drinking, Rick and Duke find out Michelle, the would be employee, is their waitress at the club. Rick is completely offensive toward the woman, who has had it and she proceeds to tell him off, and is fired because of it. Michelle tells Rick, in no uncertain terms, that she hopes he will have to suffer for all what she has put her through. Never were these words more fitting.

Things are not much better at home where we see Eve, Rick's daughter chatting on the computer. Eve is a sad young woman. Evidently her mother has died, although nothing is revealed as to what happened. Rick, as a father shows not much warmth toward Eve.

When a former college friend, mysteriously visits Rick, we are not ready for what is coming next. Buck has a proposition for Rick that, at first, he is reluctant to comply with, but in retrospect, he goes along, but he has no clue of what an ironic fate awaits Rick at the end. It's almost as though the curse Michelle put on Rick had its effect when he least expected it.

Bill Pullman makes Rick a despicable individual without any redeeming qualities. Mr. Pullman does a wonderful job to convey this yuppie with the heart in the wrong place. The beautiful Agnes Bruckner plays Eve, Rick's daughter, who knows much more for her young age than some older, more experienced person. She is one of the best of the new actresses acting in films these days. Aaron Stanford is the reptilian Duke. Sandra Oh is wonderful as Michelle. Dylan Baker, a great character actor of stage and screen has a few excellent moments as Buck.

This is a film that should be seen by a wider audience. It proves that Curtiss Clayton is a director to be reckoned with.