Buffalo '66 (1998)

Everyone knows that films use images to help tell a story, but the more subtle art of using the imagery as a language with its own semantic and contextual layers is an art form that’s arguably just as important to the process. In the best films a single image is more polysemous than even the most versatile word. Buffalo ‘66 epitomises the notion without being too conspicuous.
Gallo wrote, directed, scored and starred in it. He plays Billy Brown, recently released from prison into a cold world. Billy finds a peculiar kind of warmth in Christina Ricci’s reactive performance, but he’s not equipped to deal with the kind of salvation she offers. His neurotic tendencies and masking of nervous weaknesses with frequent angry outbursts keep him safe and distant while Ricci's odd behaviour tries to break down his barriers.

4½ strikes out of 5