Paul Shrader has never lost his love for Bresson and Light Sleeper for me is the closest he’s got to matching the master.
It’s a drug dealer film (probably the drug dealer film) and it doesn’t shy away from the damage or the ecstasy of drugs. Willem Defoe is great as the lead role – dealer, priest and finally saviour and avenger. It has one of my favourite endings in cinema.
So, it’s another story about redemption, which is the main theme running through Shrader’s work. I really like writers and directors who return, over and over again, to themes that are essential for them. Also worth seeing from Shrader’s back catalogue is the little seen, but massively affecting Affliction.
Light Sleeper has a few problems, and again like many movies of this era the soundtrack is very of the time. Finally it’s worth seeing for Susan Sarandon’s performance as Dafoe’s boss, she sells the sizzle, but not the sausage…
The trailer is below…
So, 4 films to go…
Matthew Cooper has written for most of the UK soaps, including writing episodes of Emmerdale, Eastenders, Hollyoaks and Family Affairs. Matthew was winner of the Lloyds Bank Channel Four Film Challenge, the Oscar Moore Screenplay Prize and has been BAFTA shortlisted and Royal TV Society nominated. He’s been a script consultant and script writer for hire for over 20 years. You can find some of his broadcast credits on the IMDb.