CineVegas 2009 Preview: ‘Saint John of Las Vegas’

CineVegas 2009 is right around the corner (next week to be precise), and We Are Movie Geeks are going to be there in full force.   Throughout the festival, which runs from June 10th through the 15th, we are going to be bringing you all the coverage you need including reviews, interviews, party breakdowns, and red carpet premiere coverage.

This week, we are going to break down some of the more anticipated films of the fest.   We start you off with the festival’s opening night film, ‘Saint John of Las Vegas.’   It’s a strange, surrealist look at an ex-gambler who is just trying to make it in life.

Here is the film’s official synopsis:

Divinely inspired by Dante’s Inferno, SAINT JOHN OF LAS VEGAS, features a gambler, a wheelchair-bound stripper, a human torch, an armed nudist colony and a pitch-perfect performance by one of our finest actors: Steve Buscemi….what a perfect way to open the 2009 CineVegas Film Festival. John (Buscemi) has finally gotten his life back on track. The ex-gambler whose only luck is bad ran away from Las Vegas, ending up in Albuquerque with a dull but stable job in insurance. He even has a budding romance with a sexy co-worker. But fate leads him back towards temptation: When John gets a promotion to fraud investigating, he must return to Las Vegas for his first case. Paired with a savvy veteran who prides himself on preventing scams, his journey leads him down a precarious path checkered with a bizarre cast of characters. Will his luck change or is fate in his own hands after all?

Hue Rhodes’ feature directorial debut is a modern, picaresque journey through the literal and figurative desert and into the mind of a gambler. As John searches for answers he fluctuates intoxicatingly between reality and surreality. Rhodes’ creative talent is invigorating and engaging as he crafts a tale that is at times comedic, at others poignant. Along with the extraordinary performance by Buscemi, the film is blessed with an outstanding supporting cast, including Sarah Silverman, Peter Dinklage, Romany Malco, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Tim Blake Nelson and John Cho. Expertly crafted in every way, from the rich cinematography to the astute editing, SAINT JOHN OF LAS VEGAS bursts with creativity and is laced with a deliciously dark sense of humor that is sure to bring a smile to your face as you head out of the theater and back into the casino.

Sounds very cool, and the mere fact that this film includes Mr. Pink, the new Sulu, and the Dink himself make it all the more anticipated.

‘Saint John of Las Vegas’ premieres on Wednesday, June 10th at 7:30 PM.