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“He never wins.  At anything!  He never even wins at those cheap lottery scratch cards.”

Steve Buscemi does not do funny things.  Steve Buscemi does not say funny things.  Steve Buscemi is just funny.  Buscemi has always shined in even the smallest role in films like Reservoir Dogs and The Big Lebowski, but he shines brightest in his leading role in Saint John of Las Vegas by first-time director Hue Rhodes.  If silent film star Buster Keaton is the model for deadpan loser humor, than Buscemi is the modern day equivalent.

Steve plays John, a lowly insurance claims officer cursed with the worst luck in the world.  He’s not just a loser, he is an epic fail.  His keys don’t work.  He can’t open the door at work.  He never wins.  At anything!  He never even wins at those cheap lottery scratch cards. He’s not just stuck in cubicle, he’s stuck in his life.

A shining ray of smiley yellow sunshine comes in the form of Sarah Silverman in a standout role as a co-worker on a winning streak.  (Steve hilariously bones Sarah in the ladies room.  Classic!)  John finally gets a chance to turn things around and impress the midget boss (yes, an actual midget played by Peter Dinklage) when he is teamed up with Virgil (Romany Malco).  Virgil is a cheapskate when it comes to per diem, but he’s also a savvy insurance jockey who proves false claims, saving the company millions.  John can move up to a level six adjuster if he can just prove the stripper in the wheelchair is faking her injury.

The pair take an investigative road trip to Vegas and encounter weirdness that can only be found on the road like an armed group of male nudists and getting a lapdance from a stripper in a wheelchair.  Did I mention there’s a stripper in a wheelchair? Saint John is one of those road trip indie movies that will remain memorable for its quiet sense sense of calm, cool and classic humor.

Words by Chris Gore

St John of Las Vegas on IMDB