Review: Traveller


A film about a close-knit ‘family’ of Irish-American grifters, headed by stern Luke Askew. Along comes young Mark Wahlberg, whose father was exiled from the family (for marrying an ‘outsider’), and thus Wahlberg is treated coldly as an outsider by all except Bokky (Bill Paxton), one of the senior-ranked grifters. Bokky stands up for the young man and decides to take him under his wing and teach him the Traveller lifestyle. Basically, ripping people off. Julianna Margulies plays a barkeep and single mum who the duo target, but Bokky starts to fancy her. Hmmm, wonder what Askew is gonna think of that. Nikki DeLoach plays the pretty young Traveller Wahlberg fancies, who just so happens to be Askew’s daughter. James Gammon plays a grizzled old con man the duo meet on the road (and who helps set up a big counterfeit scam in Vegas with a dangerous mobster as the target), and Rance Howard plays one of their intended victims.

 

For a slightly odd film that doesn’t quite come off, this 1997 flick never is dull. Directed by debutant Jack Green (a veteran DOP of Clint Eastwood films who has only directed one film since) and scripted by Jim McGlynn (who seemingly has not produced anything since), it feels like two films in one, or at least the second half gets away from the kind of film it seemed to be in the first half. It starts out like a quirky Irish gypsy/Southern Gothic flick early on, settles into a buddy movie in the middle, and then a violent crime flick towards the end. Things just don’t quite fit together, and the crime stuff seems a little too serious for what are really just a family of small-town grifters. Also, the gypsy stuff sets up a contrived conflict. Why is it necessary for them to stick to their own kind in order to do what they do? It’s not, though the very Italian-looking Julianna Margulies’ very casting might suggest an ethnic issue.

 

Yet, the film is interesting and enjoyable, even as is, and the gypsy element sure does make it stand out amongst the pack. It’s a lumpy mix, but certainly not without merit. Grizzled James Gammon steals the show in a performance that might’ve earned him an Oscar nomination if the film had garnered a higher profile. Bill Paxton, meanwhile, is pitch-perfect casting (he seems more comfortable off the beaten path), and everyone else here is solid (except the awful Nikki DeLoach), particularly the underrated Luke Askew. For some strange (i.e. sloppiness) reason it’s really hard to catch on to the characters’ names here (it’s really bizarre, but tell me I’m wrong), but whoever that is playing the Vegas crime boss, he’s a terrific mixture of Sidney Greenstreet and Telly Savalas.

 

You can definitely see why this offbeat film didn’t take, but it’s worth a look if you’re curious. It’s gotta be someone’s idea of a great movie, just not mine. Absolutely awful rendition of ‘King of the Road’ by Randy Travis, however.

 

Rating: B-

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