Vincent Gallo’s Buffalo ‘66 is a film that’s truly hard to love. While lacking any likable characters and a stable plot, the movie honestly poses as a hard watch, and it is surprising that it’s amassed a cult following. Written, directed, composed, and starring Vincent Gallo, the film was heavily inspired by his own life and personal experiences. Gallo was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, where this film is set and filmed. He began his career as an actor in the early 90s, starring in various indie films. Released in 1998, Buffalo ‘66 was his directorial debut, as he went on to write, direct, and star in two other independent films, The Brown Bunny (2003) and Promises Written in Water (2010).
Buffalo ‘66 follows Billy Brown, played by Gallo, having just been released from five years in prison. Through a series of overhead and moving shots, we follow Billy as he takes the bus into town, aggressively searches for a bathroom to use, and eventually kidnaps teenage Layla from a dance studio. Layla, played by Christina Ricci, is initially resistant towards Billy, but quickly becomes compliant. A short-tempered Billy explains to her that he is taking her to meet his parents, who never knew he was in jail, and needs her to pretend to be his wife. As she drives them to his parents house, it becomes clear that Layla has grown a liking to Billy, as she could easily escape but doesn’t. We meet Billy’s parents, his clearly absent mother who won’t take her eyes off the Buffalo Bills game, and his uninterested father who takes a creepy liking to Layla. The rest of the film follows Billy and Layla as they continue their night, going to a bowling alley and diner, and eventually getting a motel room for the night. Over the course of the film, more and more about Billy’s childhood and past is uncovered, as we see the framework for what made him such a terrible person. By the film’s end, the beautiful, sweet and caring Layla has become affectionate towards the cold and violent Billy.
As this film is based on Gallo’s childhood, it is evident that Buffalo ‘66 serves as a reflection of his mind and his personality. With the plot being about a lonely, aggressive thirty-two year old man who feels like the world has failed him, who accidentally captures the perfect victim, viewers of this film get a glimpse into the twisted mind of Gallo. Layla ends up falling in love with Billy after he kidnaps her, verbally assaults and brutally uses her for his parent’s approval. He is nothing less than cruel to her, and she is kind and falls for him anyways. Layla’s character serves as every incel man’s dream woman, as her portrayal by Gallo proves that he views women in a sickening way. It is also crucial to note that, while Billy’s background is subtly revealed throughout the film, the only information we get about Layla is simply her name. Christina Ricci and Gallo reportedly did not get along on set, as Gallo called Ricci his “puppet” that “did what she was told”, and Ricci vowed to never work with him again. Buffalo ‘66 is not the only instance of this behavior from Gallo. His second directorial film The Brown Bunny received a great deal of backlash after its debut at Cannes Film Festival, due to a controversial sex scene between Gallo and Chloë Sevigny. In recent years, Gallo has also been under fire for sexual misconduct towards women during the audition process of his film The Policeman, which Sag-Aftra is currently investigating. This only scratches the surface of Gallo’s controversiality, as he has also received backlash for his political views, and from his continual endorsements of Donald Trump. The misogynistic nature that is evident in Gallo’s work emphasizes the negative implications of Layla’s character, and how this movie can be detrimental to women.
Despite being surrounded by a bleak and lackluster film, Ricci’s performance as Layla shines. The seventeen-year-old actress is one of this film’s only highlights, as she was just given a lacking script and basically zero characterization, but portrays Layla profoundly. Ricci struts around the screen in an oddly out-of-place bowling alley tap dancing scene, which almost feels like a break after an hour of watching an irritable Billy run around the city tormenting people. Every time Ricci is on screen and Gallo is not, it’s like the audience can just take a breath of fresh air. Layla’s unique look, dressed in a blue dance uniform, matching blue tights, and silver tap shoes, finished off with heavy blue eye makeup, has become iconic, thanks to costume designer Alexis Scott. Another one of the film’s few highlights is its unique, sometimes strange cinematography, done by Lance Acord (although Gallo has claimed most of the credit). These highlights could unfortunately not save Buffalo ‘66 though, as the screenplay, co-written by Alison Bagnall and Gallo, is nothing special. While having its few strengths, Buffalo ‘66 is an overall excruciating watch. Though it can be defined as a melodrama, romance, and indie film, to any woman who fears the abuse of a man, this is a horror movie.