A prime example of 1990s independent film-making, Buffalo 66 is a little-known gem of a film which, once found, will be cherished. Vincent Gallo--the New York Bohemian extraordinaire--co-wrote the semi-autobiographical script. He also directed and starred in this dark comedy and, as if that wasn't enough, contributed to the mind-blowing soundtrack. By employing alternative filming techniques for what is, in essence, a traditional boy-meets-girl story, Gallo has created an indie movie with genuine mainstream appeal. A handheld camera and the flashback sequences use beautiful grainy cine film and 70s Polaroids, while as a whole the tone of the piece shifts between lavish theatrical images and reality TV. However, out of the many mesmerising scenes within the film, it is the isolated performances that offer the most heartfelt beauty, notably Cristina Ricci's solo light tap dance and Gazzara's mime to a song actually performed by Gallo's father in the distant past. An all-star cast also includes Angelica Huston, Ben Gazzara and Mickey Rourke. Buffalo 66 is an overlooked modern classic just waiting to be discovered. --Nikki Disney

Completely agree with all the positive reviews posted here. Superbly conceived, produced and acted by Gallo and supported by a vivacious, blonde Christina Ricci (requires a double take at first), you cannot help but fall onside with Gallo's essentially tragic, lonely character and wish him off the destructive route he appears bent on travelling despite his strangely acquired, new found love. The film just gets better and better and has a superb ending - quite bizarrely (but somehow aptly) played out over an early 'Yes' recording in a seedy stripjoint. But then the whole film has a slightly surreal feel to it and is nowhere near as dark as some reviewers suggest - quite the opposite I found. Ben Gazzara's facial expressions alone are wonderful. It's very good indeed. Widescreen transfer and sound are fine. No extras on the DVD at all, but you won't need them.

This film is just bursting with absolute joy, very intense at times hilarious at others, vincent gallo's acting and directing are genius, you start by hating the character and as the film progress's you begin to really empathise with the situations he has been put through...christina ricci is also brilliant i especially enjoyed the tap dancing scene and the excellent ending...definatly recommended to someone who likes there movies offbeat but full of charm.

If you wear ironic t-shirts with DIY cut off sleeves and tight white jeans and your favourite bands are Tapes N' Tapes and Wolf Parade, then you will probably think this is "edgy" because of it's grainy shots and "voiceless messages" and because Vincent Gallo, a self-proclaimed 'genius', directs it inbetween trying to flaunt his art and his old hats and services as an escort (and even his sperm, as seen on his official website).

If you have half a brain and don't wake up wishing you had your sisters' wardrobe, this film won't be a very enjoyable experience for you. I considered shutting the film off after 15 minutes (that's all it takes for the "unpredictable" Gallo to include some mention about the size of his penis) but, after a flip of a coin, decided to give the man his day - which ended up being a worse mistake than purchasing the thing.

In short, Buffalo 66 is yet another awful feature of nothingness shielded by its reputation among coffee shops in the hippest of towns, and neither performances or story do it any kind of favours. Gallo, as usual, plays a dull, joyless character whos immediate hard-line aggressiveness comes as convincing as the fact that the girl from Addams Family would, for some lurid reason, follow his deadbeat character around and lie for him and eventually fall in love with him after being kidnapped by him in a packed dancing studio. Humourless and meaningless in almost every scene, you will come away thinking of only 2 saving graces: Christina Ricci's body, and the fact that if you get bored of Rambo drinking games, you can base a drinking game on doing a shot everytime Gallo's character repeats himself like a drunk parrot through lack of any defining, creative dialogue.

There is a reviewer here who talked about how dislikable Billy Brown is. Sure maybe that's true at the start, then you see the effect he has on people, his devoted friends who will do anything for him and you start to realise the hidden qualities he has. He relates on a naive childlike level to those around him. This film really gets inside your soul. The bit with the horrendous parents and their only picture of Billy is heartrending. I love this film. Gallo is a genius.

Buffalo `66 is as fine an example of independent film-making as you're likely to find. Vincent Gallo's quirky, semi-autobiographical film, in which he stars as Billy Brown - a slightly unhinged, emotionally undernourished convict who kidnaps the surprisingly willing Layla (Christina Ricci) to pose as his wife - is easily the controversial New Yorker's best work to date and features stellar performances from the likes of Angelica Huston (almost unrecognisable as Brown's uncaring, football-obsessed mother Janet) and Jan-Michael Vincent - Brown's long-suffering best friend, Goon. Gallo is equally impressive in the role of Billy Brown; he's unpleasant, and prone to violence, but not entirely dislikeable. In fact, at times, he's almost child-like, and we sympathise with Brown, largely because of what we come to know of his background. The scene in which Billy visits his parents' house, for example, is one of classic suburban dysfunction - and hilarious at that.

There's a sense at times that Gallo is playing himself, rather than actually 'acting'; at others, he appears to be hamming it up a bit for comic effect (see the scene in which he forces Layla to pose with him in a photo booth and repeats the phrase "we're spanning time" ad nauseum) but he can be forgiven on both counts as a) the film is, as mentioned, a semi-autographical work and b) he is undeniably amusing.

Where this film impresses most, however, is in the sheer inventiveness and effectiveness of some of Gallo's techniques as director and Lance Acord's cinematography. Buffalo `66 has all the hallmarks of an indie, art-house film - but, refreshingly, these features actually contribute to our understanding of Brown's character and the advancement of the film's plot.

Brilliant stuff.

Matt Pucci