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. 0 Section 2 Chicago Tnbuno. Thursday. Mov 26. 1977Tempo Entertainmentdoesn't present a very welcome pictureBy Gene SiskelMarie crtbBeware of advertising that iui-Rcst* Wckome to LA I* a ua by Robert Allman, tbo talented director ot Iln« films from M'AW to Nashville.Wckome to L A.'' was writton and directed by Alan Rudolph, 32. a former Atman assistant. Altman only produced Welcome to L A., which is sort of a Naab-vitlo West — a portrait of a city a* a state of mind, as revealed by the Intermingling of a doien character*.But whorca* Atman's treatment of Naab-vide was both condemnatory and comic, Rudolph only knocks Los Angeles. Hia dim does net have a sense of humor, which would help if. only for variety* sake.Instead, for a numbing IbS minutes Welcome lo LA parades a series of fleeting • relationship*. Unhappy men use unhappy women; unhappy women ask to bo used by unhappy men. A theme song constantly reminds us LA. is the city of one-night •landsThe film doctn't consist of ono conventional ttcry. although it opens with a songwriter returning home from England.Ho ultimately will leave Tinsel Town hi disgust Keith Carradino. wearing ■ poatcc, replays his aMttjf, love 'em and Jeavo 'em role from Nashville.HE BLEEPS with — or com** close to ■looping with — the film's five women: a young, groupie-type maid (Sissy Spacelrt who Ulus to vacuum without a shirt; a young married (Gcraldino Chaplin) who is forever disposing her young executive husband; a frantic real estate agent (Sally4Geraldirtf Cbaplln’flef!) and Lauren Hutton In '’Welcome to LA.TRIBUNE MINI-REVIEW Coail roast + *•'WELCOME TO UtM•Kcllerman) who pushes too hard for Intimacy; a photographer (Lauren Hutton) who takei pictures o! comers and b a rich old man's mistress; ar,d a Wish businesswoman (Vive-ca Lfndfors) who recklessly grab* at young men who don't want her. Only the young maid appears to be conventionally happy.As for Uio rnco in the picture, they are more Interesting because they are le** catatonic. Harvey Keitel (the long-hairedBmp in 'Taxi Driver) play* a young sincssmaa desperate for tuccess. In one of the film's few lively scenes, ho learns bo is going to be made a partner in his firm.Inside an elevator after learning the news,-he *ay* to himself. Oooob. you did it. You did IL lt'a ono of the few time* anyone In Welcome to LA. la nakedly upbeat.Other malo characters In the film Include . Keitel's rich boss and Carradloe's father (a white buffalo of a man played by Denver Pyle), who admit*, I'm 60 yean old and I want to work until I'm dead. and a furniture salesman (John Consldlnc) who Is married to Kclicrmsn, but prefers Spacck.One scene typifies whal's wrong-with Welcome to LA There is a shot of the unhappy furniture aalnman in bed. during which the camera pull* back to reveal him resting on a bed in one of hts furniture showrooms. That is a potentially funny image, which could have humorously pic-torialixed the transitory nature of Los Angeles life. But Instead o! moving his camera swiftly to mtko a Joke, director Rudolph pulls back very slowly to mako h!« shot mournful and to snigger at his character. *That's tha problem with Welcome to L A. Its director doesn’t Ilka any of the peoplo in his film. He gives us little reason to like them either.Gene Siskel reviews the xnov/e scene Monday. Wednesday, and Friday on Channel 3 Sews at 10 p m.
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