Blood Orange is a film which would have sunk into cinematic oblivion if it wasn’t for one factor… Iggy Pop! The Iguana has been trying to make a name for himself in acting ever since he got off drugs in the mid ’80s, he needed some extra curriculum activities when he wasn’t on tour. He showed his acting chops in supporting roles in cult films by John Waters and John Waters. However Blood Orange is the first time he is the lead in a film.
Iggy plays here is an ageing rock star (such a stretch) who is passing his time at his villa somewhere in Spain waiting for his body to run out on him. He has the foxy femme fatale wife Isabelle (Kacey Barnfield) who occasionally bangs the gardener because she can and Iggy is an open-minded guy so he turns a blind eye to it. However their little bohemian world turns upside when Lucas (Ben Lamb) who is the son of Isabelle’s last trophy husband demands to get his inheritance.
The film obviously wants to be in the vein of Sexy Beast, the director is after all a Brit first timer Toby Tobias. The characters are all ripped out of the classic noir films and novels and all that jazz. The film’s biggest problem is the script isn’t up to snuff, it needed another rewrite and the characters needed a little more space to breath.The fact Tobias also wrote the script may have played a factor, he should have had somebody else write it. It’s all set in one location so it all feels stagey and despite the director intending to have the claustrophobic feel it doesn’t work.
It’s clichéd but there is a certain enjoyable factor seeing Iggy playing Lee Marvin playing Iggy Pop especially since he is a member of “The Sons of Lee Marvin”. The twists are never shocking and are fairly predictable. However Iggy gives it 150% as does to life nevermind just on-screen performances, the supporting cast are perfectly survivable if forgettable. It’s worth seeing if you are curious to see Iggy having a meaty role instead of a quirky supporting role, he doesn’t disappoint but he rarely does anyway.
★★½
Ian Schultz
psychotroniccinema.com 