| Slums of Beverly Hills is an offbeat, energetic, and often hilarious look at growing up in the wrong parts of the right city. The movie takes us back to 1976 and introduces us to Vivian Abramowitz (Natasha Lyonne). Both horrified and intrigued by the power of a developing body, fifteen-year-old Vivian, with her tomboy swagger and sweetly expressive face, is trying to get through first bras, first boyfriends, and at least three moves within the course of the movie, with some degree of grace and sanity. Vivian's life consists of waking up in the middle of the night to her father's urgent demand that she pack for another move to another disappointing apartment complex. As her father goes through the city and pulls into the parking lot of Sizzler for a steak breakfast, we see that Vivian is far from the life of luxury she sees outside her window. The focus of the movie is introduced in the very first sequence which follows Vivian on a trip to buy her first bra. "Breasts", the sales lady assures her cheerfully, "are a blessing". But so far, all they've gotten Vivian are discomforting glances and obnoxious comments from her siblings. Right alongside all the new trials of being a sort of woman, comes a perfectly timed appearance by Vivian's older cousin. Marisa Tomei's Rita careens into the film like a silent movie star, a | hurricane of shaky, misdirected sexuality and flair. She becomes a surrogate mom for Vivian despite her own instability, providing the warmth and empathy Vivian desperately needs, along with a mischievous streak. Tomei does a fine job. Alan Arkin, with his battle cry of "let's be people," uttered whenever the somewhat unhinged family is about to encounter civilization, is a devoted, if slightly befuddled, dad who can be hopelessly insensitive to his daughter's new womanhood with blunt assessments, and at the same time a deeply tender father, who wants only to look good in his kids' eyes. Vivian can be annoyed by him, confused by him, even devastated by him, but she can't hate him. He is central to her life. Though mostly straightforward, the camera work does have its innovative moments, sweeping poetically over and below its images -- an escalator carrying a lounging Vivian up and down, palm trees swirling in the sky from a car window. The movie seems to have an unspoken credo: this is serious stuff, but we're going to keep it fun. Part of what gives the film its credibility is the fact that writer/director Tamara Jenkins based Slums largely on her own life. A final "lets-sum-it-up" voice-over intrudes on a perfectly legitimate and sturdy ending. There were two over-the-top slapstick moments that stick out jaggedly in an otherwise smooth and natural film. Slums of Beverly Hills is a little film, not widely released, but it is most definitely worth seeking out. |