Willem Dafoe brings a pulsing gusto to Abel Ferrara's sober, overlong, sporadically engaging self-portrait of his life in Rome, "Tommaso"; Fortunately, Dafoe is almost always center-screen, and he's always good to watch here
the movie enters fantasy realms often, but "Tommaso" has a different feel than your average variant on Fellini's "8 1/2"; Whatever it is, it makes "Tommaso" crackle with ideas and empathy, as Ferrara's best work always does
from its bittersweet opening moments to the disturbing homage to Dafoe's performance at the end, "Tommaso" is a gripping look at the process of escaping to a better life, only to find that the old one follows along at every turn
despite a raw performance from Willem Dafoe, "Tommaso" feels more like a self-indulgent male fantasy than an introspective character study; it may not be a masterpiece, but it's certainly another excellent performance in the books when it comes to Dafoe
"Tommaso" might seem like a thrilling, fantastical portrait of an artist, but Abel Ferrara's execution is far less impactful image than the above description would suggest. The director remains adrift in the wasteland of the imagination
"Tommaso" features some of the most resonant work of Willem Dafoe's career, and is a late-career highlight for Abel Ferrara -- difficult, daring and mesmerizing
by Hannah Hoolihan [ScreenRant ]
