Illuminata

In his second outing as director, the affably edgy actor John Turturro strives to capture the bawdy essence of turn-of-the-century theater life. Based on Brandon Cole's play, Illuminata is a delightful if ramshackle comedy along the lines of Cousin Bette and Shakespeare in Love, where players and artisans extend their theatrical roles beyond the stage in pursuit of their muse. Turturro centers the near absurd universe as Tuccio, an embattled playwright trying to maintain his artistic integrity while satiating a pack of sharply opinionated critics -- led by a deliciously over-the-top Christopher Walken. Pulling on Tuccio's sensibilities, Susan Sarandon is devilishly radiant as Celimene, a Gloria Swanson-eque temptress, and Turturro regular Katherine Borowitz is ingratiating as Rachel, the romantic anchor in his life and mainstay of the ragtag troupe.

The ensemble cast includes rich performances by Bill Irwin as the reluctant object of Walken's desire, Ben Gazzara, Rufus Sewell, and the ageless Beverly D'Angelo. There's a lot going on in Cole's play within a play -- indeed, the cinematic adaptation is so busy, there's little space to develop the multitude of subplots. In his 1992 debut, Mac, Turturro effusively encapsulated the struggle of three working-class brothers, but here, challenged by Cole's eclectic array of characters, he seems overwhelmed. When the highbrow high jinks stop whirling, only opulence and some ingeniously haunting puppetry resonate.

-- Tom Meek