Something Wild

When squeaky-clean Big Apple businessman Charlie Driggs (Daniels) walks away from a diner without paying the bill, his brief excursion into crime attracts the attention of Louise Brooks lookalike Lulu (Griffith). This distinctly down-market femme fatale hijacks the lad with the offer of a lift that soon develops into a lunatic weekend of stealing booze and bondage sex. More alarmingly, Charlie's confusion at the woman's wobbly, protean personality is soon aggravated by the arrival of her ex-con ex (Liotta), who abducts the odd couple for his own violently vengeful purposes. A truly original cocktail, mixing Bringing Up Baby-style comedy with the lethal paranoia of film noir, Demme's gem distinguishes itself from other 'yuppie nightmare' movies (Blue Velvet, After Hours) by its very real sympathy for its oddball characters. Demme observes the human eccentricity that underlies the corner-store banalities of Middle America with warmth and loving detail; while a magnificent rock soundtrack and faultless performances from Daniels, Griffith and Liotta ensure pleasures galore.