'Easy's Waltz' Review: Vince Vaughn Takes the Stage as a Crooner Who Proves It’s Never Too Late [TIFF 25]
VINCE VAUGHN SINGS IN A FILM THAT TACKLES the VEGAS NIGHTLIGHT, FATE, WHAT IFS, fraternity, AND AL PACINO.
In recent years film has entered this sort of reflective period where there seem to be more and more works that are about looking back and honouring what was. This comes in many forms, some being in pure filmmaking style, some being in the actual content being presented, sometimes it's just all about the sequel. Nic Pizzolatto’s Easy’s Waltz slips right into this milieu as we follow a down-on-his-luck Las Vegas entertainer, Easy (played by Vince Vaughn) navigate his way through the Vegas show business.
Nic Pizzolatto, who is best known for his work as the creator and writer of True Detective, steps into both the writer and directors chair with this film which is such a clear passion project for both himself and especially its star, Vince Vaughn. This being his feature film directorial debut, Pizzolatto went with a big swing in the form of a film that is so heavily centred around music and the musical talents (or lack thereof) of a non-musician in Vince Vaughn.
The film opens with our lowly Vegas entertainer, Easy, performing what he feels is the last live show to be given by Easy and his band. There is a sense of finality that clouds Easy, he is at the end of the road with this hustle, and he must settle for his regular job as a restaurant manager at one of the dining spots in Vegas. His brother, a con-man named Sam (Simon Rex), who also happens to be Easy’s manager, finds him a last minute slot to perform at a lowkey spot downtown. He does, and this leads him to run into a local big shot who books talent at the Wynn casino, Mickey (Al Pacino). This fateful encounter sparks new life for Easy’s career and sends him on an unusual journey.
One prop that is to be given to this film is its ability to light a scene. It is refreshing to see so many colours and depth in some of the different musical scenes here. The film doesn’t try to do too much in terms of pizazz or grandiose, rather it keeps on the beaten path. At times it is guilty of falling uninteresting. There isn’t a sense of urgency in here, and there should be an appreciation for films that take their time, operating at their own pace, but this Waltz misses one too many beats.
There’s an awkwardness about the character of Easy. Mickey seeks to put him on the map due to some nostalgic sense of heroism he feels in his older age, but Vaughn’s performance as Easy, no matter how good he is at times, lacks in the vocal department. Vaughn can hold a tune, and he does a decent enough job here, but there is a unique contrast going on when characters are praising Easy’s voice as a gift, and the actual voice is just sort of unextraordinary. Maybe it’s a joke on the audience, or it really is just a piece of pure passion from both Vaughn and Pizzolatto, regardless it can hold this work back.
The film, which is pretty focused early on, starts to unravel as it progresses towards its finale. There are some storylines which don’t come to fruition, and others that land just fine, but Easy’s Waltz is at its best when it focuses on the complex brotherhood between Simon Rex’s Sam and the titular Easy. They have this complex relationship that operates in a grey area. Easy understands his brother's plights, and accepts them at times, because that’s just what family is for.
Al Pacino is always a treat to watch and he is a comforting figure in this film. At his ripe age of 85, it is great to see the legend continue to turn in performances year in year out. It may just be rose coloured glasses that are gazed upon him at this point, but Pacino embodies this character with a sense of confidence and control, and listening to him deliver a monologue puts this film in a state of ease and bliss, even if just for a moment.
The shortcomings in this Waltz, as mentioned, come in the film’s plot which fizzles out as it takes steps towards its conclusion. Despite being a rather simple film at its core, by the end there is a lot going on. The multiple storylines converging never really feel like they hold the weight they should either. The script, clearly layered, becomes a little too unfocused for its own good.
All in all, Easy’s Waltz is not a downright disaster, but it never really hits its stride. You can feel the passion in Vaughn’s performance, and in the premise itself, but he almost feels miscast here. The Vegas nightlife never consumes the viewer, but it doesn’t necessarily have to as the focus really is on its characters, who while grey, aren’t all that compelling. There deserves to be space for films like this, but that cannot always be the excuse for something that tries but doesn’t really hit the mark. It’s nice to see Al Pacino still turning in solid performances, and if one is interested in seeing Vince Vaughn sing alongside a Marvin Schwarz adjacent character type in Al Pacino’s Mickey, this would be worth checking out!