Albino Alligator (1996)

Albo Gator (to quote Bill Fichtner) is a tense little drama, superbly acted. The film is so small in scale and so tightly staged that it feels very personal to watch. The film, written by Christian Forte, tells the story of three small time hoods (Matt Dillon, William Fichtner and Gary Sinise) on the run who take shelter (and hostages) in a small down-town bar. As the tension escalates within the bar, so does the chaos outside, as the police surround the building and begin negotiations. The film feels very much like a stage production, which is not a bad thing. In fact, it feels like a very good stage production. The performances are nothing short of dynamite, the bar itself being filled with the who's who of modern character actors and supporting players. The great M. Emmett Walsh is the owner of the establishment and on this particular night his unfortunate customers includes trucker John Spencer, tough-cookie Faye Dunaway, pool player Skeet Ulrich and enigmatic stranger Viggo Mortensen, who may or may not be hiding something. They are all great in their respective roles. Dillon, Fichtner and Sinise shine as the conflicted criminals. The jazzy score from Michael Brooke is the icing on the cake. Albino Alligator, small but perfectly formed.