The latest multiple threat to Hollywood is Vincent Gallo, lately the embodiment of heroin chic on those Calvin Klein commercials. Emaciated, dark and creepy looking, Gallo's debut feature, surprisingly, is a sunny, mordant comedy about a loser trying to get his life back on track. Finding humor in unexpected places, and being smart enough to assemble a top-notch cast, "Buffalo 66" is an admirable effort on all counts, but quite frankly, nowhere near as fantastic as every other critic seems to think it is.

When the film begins, Billy Brown (Gallo) is released from a correctional facility for a crime he did not commit. On his way home to visit his parents, Billy kidnaps a teenage tap-dancer Layla (Christina Ricci) and basically bullies her into agreeing to pretend to be his wife. This he needs to do due to the fact that his family has always been somewhat sick and twisted, and his fabrication of a wife and job are part of the ongoing plan for them to torment each other to the fullest extent. When they arrive at his home, Layla manages to impress Jimmy (Ben Gazarra) and Janet (Anjelica Huston) so much that Billy finds his problems escalating by the minute. Rootless and aimless, Billy is at first unwilling to reciprocate the feelings of kindness Layla shows toward him. The film hinges on whether he will make the choice to forgive and forsake all the pain or to accept a tentative chance at happiness.

Along the way, many weirdly interesting things happen, none of which can be clearly detailed here. Suffice to say that Gallo's script is quirky and intelligent, although it is still a few notches short of being truly great or revelatory. His sense of dialogue rhythm is especially keen, although many of his lines depend as much on the actor's ability to deliver them as they do on the writing itself. Since Gallo is the star, many lines come off winningly. The entire cast performs well - even the routinely awful Rosanna Arquette manages to be watchable here. Mickey Rourke, back on track from a rough patch in his career, has a small interesting role in the film, as does forgotten 70s icon Jan Michael Vincent. Anjelica Huston does a nice New York accent and clearly relishes her chance to play against type as a football fanatic whose callousness and lack of maternal concern for her son (she even manages to forget that he is deathly allergic to chocolate) are blatant and hilarious. Ben Gazarra also has a good showcase for his talent as Billy's cruel, somewhat lascivious, father.

As usual, Christina Ricci all but steals the show once again as Layla. She shares a dynamic with Gallo that makes her character even more interesting than she appears on paper. The constant cajoling and bullying between Billy and Layla closely mirrors the type of relationship a director and his leading lady has, and this adds an interesting dimension to the proceedings onscreen. Whenever Ricci is seen - and that is not quite often enough - the film ignites. Blonde and swathed in ice blue from her glitter eye-shadow to her baby doll dress, she's like a shining vision that represents the savior in the story and is the film's saving grace. Gallo, on his own, is nothing much, as evinced by some indulgent scenes where his solo presence proves less than compelling. Paired with Ricci, however, he does very good work indeed.

"Buffalo 66" shows that Vincent Gallo is a promising talent. The film drags in sections, and it could have been less self-indulgent, but by and large, what is onscreen is morbidly funny, occasionally compelling and satisfying in an undemanding way.

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