The movie Tim Roth admits was “very disturbing”
There are some actors, such as Winona Ryder, Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks, who lit up the world of Hollywood so brightly at the tail-end of the 20th century that too often they get all the credit for making the industry such an exciting and diverse landscape. Yet, there were plenty of others who have never received the appropriate recognition, with British actor Tim Roth being one such icon.
First peaking the interests of movie lovers back in the early 1980s with a double-header of British cult success in the form of Alan Clarke’s Made in Britain and Mike Leigh’s Meantime, by the end of the decade he was working with some of the industry’s biggest talents. Having shined in Peter Greenaway’s The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover in 1989, a young Quentin Tarantino saw the opportunity to cast him in his 1992 debut, Reservoir Dogs.
Ever since, Roth has earned collaborations with the greatest cinematic minds, from Tim Burton to Michael Haneke, boasting a filmography that includes such classics as Pulp Fiction, Funny Games and Selma. Yet, if it wasn’t for his catapult to success in the 1990s, Roth would have never received the acclaim of his later career, taking prominent risks that would pay off in the long run.
One such risk was the grim 1994 crime drama Little Odessa by James Gray, which told the story of a sinister hitman who pays a visit to his Russian family in Brooklyn, with whom he no longer keeps in close contact. With a supporting cast that includes few heavy hitters, aside from well-known Edward Furlong, Roth was forced to carry the film on his shoulders, delivering a powerhouse performance in the process.
In 1997, he sat down with fellow actor Steve Buscemi to discuss the movie and his wider career for Bomb Magazine, revealing that he did “absolutely nothing whatsoever” when it came to researching the role. Applauding the project, he added: “From the script and from James Gray. It was really a film about a family, a family where the devil has gotten into their house. I love that film. It’s one of the films I’m proudest of”.
Noting that the film was “very dark”, Roth concurred, explaining that he thought it was “Very disturbing. Horrible, horrible, film. I like that”.
Certainly not opposed to a “disturbing” movie, Roth has featured in his fair share of dark flicks, from his debut Made in Britain to Tarantino’s violent crime thriller Pulp Fiction.
Check out the trailer for 1994’s Little Odessa below.
