TRAVELLER - * * 1/2 - Bill Paxton, Julianna Margulies, Mark Wahlberg, James Gammon; rated R (violence, gore, sex, profanity, vulgarity); exclusively at the Cineplex Odeon Broadway Centre Cinemas.
Character actor Bill Paxton, who hit the big time with "Twister" last year, used his newfound Hollywood leverage to produce and star in this low-budget character melodrama about modern-day con artists.And it's fairly obvious that he was hoping for a contemporary version of "The Sting." Or maybe a less harsh update of "The Grifters."
"Traveller" doesn't quite rise to that level, thanks in large part to a script that is formulaic and a climax that is less than satisfying.
But the general result is an enjoyable and very well-acted character study.
"Traveller" is the story of clannish Irish-Americans who travel from town to town in the rural South pulling off low-level scams. Here, they spray suburban driveways with crankcase oil that they claim is a sealant for cracked cement, hoping rain doesn't wash it away before they leave the neighborhood. And they sell furnished trailer homes for twice their cost, without telling prospective buyers that the trailers will fall apart in a couple of months.
From the viewpoint of these "travellers," it is simply making a living in a divided world. "It's us against them," characters are fond of saying. The traditional society of modern thieves vs. the outsiders, gullible marks who look down their noses at them.
But one in their midst, Bokky (Paxton), is in genuine danger of developing a conscience.
This is initially apparent when Bokky takes pity on young Pat (Mark Wahlberg), who is being shut out from the clan because his father married an outsider. Bokky takes him in to teach him the ropes.
Later, Bokky is a bit reluctant to sell a trailer to a young couple because the wife is pregnant and they are plunking down their last dollar.
And the incident that changes his life comes when he feels regret over a scam that results in Jean (Julianna Margulies, of TV's "ER"), a single mother, being fired from her job.
The next day he visits her, returns the money and expresses regret over what has happened. As if Jean isn't sympathetic enough, Bokky also learns that she has a young daughter who gets too many earaches. Eventually, it is revealed that if the girl doesn't have an expensive operation, she may go deaf.
This prompts Bokky to get involved with an aging grifter (growly-voiced James Gammon) who has a big scam on the boards. He wants to fleece some crooked Turks, but he needs Bokky's help to pull it off.
As you might expect, the plan doesn't quite go off without a hitch, and the result is a violent climax that pushes the film in directions it has managed to avoid up to this point. The resulting unexpected unpleasantness is rather jarring in this context, and some unresolved plot points become all too apparent.
Still, the performers are appealing and, after years of playing a variety of supporting characters, Pa-ton proves to be a most charming leading man. (Not that "Twister" hadn't already proved that.)
Most of the way, "Traveller" is an enjoyable trek.
"Traveller" is rated R for violence, gore, sex, profanity, vulgarity.