With Friends Like These (1998) User Reviews

Mostly enjoyable comedy.

[James B. · 7/10 · 14 September 2000]

This is a pretty good 'slice-of-life' comedy. It revolves around four male actors who become captivated by the prospect of auditioning for the part of Al Capone in Martin Scorsese's next production. The Los Angeles actors' lifestyle is chronicled here, with several ironic references to familiar themes: nobody can keep their mouth shut, times are tough, and everybody is out for themselves.

"With Friends Like These" has flaws. It doesn't have as many laughs as it should, and the 'feel-good' parts of the film don't come off quite right. There is some comedy here, and some drama, but the the two aren't integrated well. The characters are knowingly painted as self-absorbed, except for Amy Madigan's character, who has a penchant for charity work. What saves the film is a fairly good script, some good ensemble work by the cast, and a brisk tempo that keeps the film hopping along.

The film's second half is better than its first, and I enjoyed the end quite a bit. David Strathairn is one of the great underrated American actors, and he has a lot to do with the film gaining momentum. Elle MacPherson is good too, as she is given something to do besides just look ravishing. She always does that well, but it's nice to see her get a chance to act.

Other nice touches were Scorsese himself appearing in one of the pivotal final scenes, and some nice work between Strathairn and his girlfriend, played by Lauren Tom. This film isn't a classic, but it is about people rather than robots or a serial killer, and it doesn't insult the intelligence of people over 20 years old. Rating 7/10.

Funny and warm

[lastliberal · 6/10 · 14 September 2008]

What a great cast! A lot of favorites like David Strathairn, Laura San Giacomo and Bill Murray; and some that really gave great performances like Robert Costanzo and Amy Madigan, made this an enjoyable comedy.

It was hilarious to see those that were supposedly "friend" jump at the chance to stab each other in the back to get a part in a Scorsese film.

Friendship only goes so far when you are a struggling actor and haven't had a good part. Fortunately, things do sometimes work out and friends can be friends again.

A stellar cast made this a film that really should have gotten a lot more notice and respect.

...who needs enmity?

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 20 June 2007]

I first saw "With Friends Like These..." on video and assumed that it had gone straight to video. I should have known better than to think that! Portraying a circle of friends double-crossing each other with the aim of getting a part in Martin Scorsese's next picture, the movie pulls no punches. What can you expect in Hollywood?! A small movie, maybe, but a pretty neat one. I don't doubt that it offers a realistic look at things. And everyone does a good job in the roles. Starring Adam Arkin, David Strathairn, Robert Costanza, Amy Madigan, Bill Murray, Michael McKean...and yes, Marty himself in a brief appearance.

The role of Mussolini. Hmm...

There are no small parts, only small actors...

[dilbert · 29 October 1998]

and actors don't get any smaller than this handful of marginal character actors in LA who are falling all over each other, stabbing each other in the back, lying, cheating, threatening, and deceiving in order to get cast in the lead role in a new Scorsese film. And they're all friends!

This is a wonderful film. It's funny, the acting is excellent (I particularly liked Adam Arkin), and the climax is something you just don't see coming. A lot of the humor is film industry insider stuff, but most people who get out occasionally will get most of it. Watch for this one - it won't be around long if it comes around at all.

Nice Little Underrated Comedy - With Friends Like These

[arthur_tafero · 7/10 · 2 September 2021]

This is a very unique film; it is highly dependent on two major variables. It helps a lot if you are Italian or understand the Italian state of mind, and two, it helps a lot if you understand living in Hollywood. Most people just do not fit in both of those variables, so most people will not get the little nuances and references associated with being Italian and/or working in Hollywood. I get one of the references; so the film was very entertaining for me. And it was not too much of a strain on my senses to figure out that there is no such thing as a secret in Hollywood; that is why the CIA does not have an office there. Treat yourself to a bit of fun and enjoy this little comedy, whether you're Italian, an actor, or neither one; everyone does a fine job in it.

Actors Friends & Enemies

[whpratt1 · 5/10 · 15 January 2007]

Thought this film would be rather interesting since I love all the actors in this film, however, it held my interest for about an hour and then I simply got entirely tired of the characters in the film repeat themselves over and over again. These actors are all striving to find acting positions and at the same time are good friends from way back when. However, there is a gangster role that seems to be in the making and all these actors secretly make an appointment to try out for the role. All the characters practice over and over again and this film becomes boring right to the bitter end. Do not recommend viewing this film, however, everyone might feel completely different.

warm and very funny

[hmandlin · 8/10 · 4 March 2005]

With Friends Like These.... is definitely a cut above most Hollywood films about Hollywood. It is laugh-out-loud funny as well as warm, touching and authentic when it comes to depicting relationships between friends and spouses...a totally worthwhile experience! The entire cast is great, especially Adam Arkin and Laura San Giancommo as transplanted east coasters trying to tough it out until their ship comes in on the west coast. Bill Murray's turn as the self-involved famous producer is a riot. The fact that this film was not distributed at the time it was originally made, is a sad comment on the business end of the business, where so much junk makes it's way to the big screen, and other films, of higher quality, like this one, get lost. The writing is hysterical, filled with rapid one liners reminiscent of classic comedians, delivered with perfect timing. For anyone who has ever suffered through endless casting cattle calls or tried to get "in front" of the right people, this film is a must. For everyone else it's a decided pleasure.

FOR ANYONE THAT HAS HAD AN AUDITION OR WANTS TO TRY! SEE THIS FILM!

[MOE-50 · 19 May 2001]

Wonderfully done! I thought I knew each of the characters. One right after another they became more real. It amazes me why films like this don't get more play! It's realism into the world of auditioning breaks your heart! It shows what people with hearts for their work, these actors, have to go through to get a job! Holding on to HOPE which is all you have. Bill Murray's cameo was right on the money! Unlike in Baseball if you're a 300 hitter you're job on a team should be fairly secure. But with acting, as these characters experience, it's a whole different ball game!

This movie will definitely make the out of work actor want to throw a brick through the TV. However it also makes you see that family and friends is what life is all about!

A Fun Little Film

[Jim-396 · 8/10 · 25 February 2005]

I just saw this film in its 2005 re-release. It's really a fun little film, with quite a few laughs and lots of great moments among a really amazing, well-chosen cast.

It's so much smarter than the average Hollywood film -- which may have been its problem when released?! Who knows why studios do what they do -- and apparently, they didn't do this film justice in 1998 (after all, it has an ensemble cast where -- gasp -- no one is under 30!)

As both a writer and an Italian-American, I got perhaps an extra kick out of the story, which is about survival in Hollywood for these four actor characters and their families -- but the film's humor and theme of friendship is truly universal.

Witty, charming and incisive...a refreshing industry comedy.

[wanker · 14 October 1998]

This original, warm, funny and biting satirical comedy shows us the ups and downs of four character actors in Los Angeles. Their friendships are tested when Martin Scorsese comes to LA to cast "Capone" his new (and fictional) project. A lively, hilarious script is balanced by full, three dimensional performances from the well known faces (particularly the always brilliant David Strathairn), and there are some great cameos to boot.

This feel-good comedy about actor-friends who betray one another for a part in a Scorcese film is really a masterly depiction of the "human condition" in modern society.

[icra · 10/10 · 3 March 2005]

"With Friends Like These" is a gem of a movie waiting to be discovered by millions of people who are intelligent, love comedies, and have a deep feeling for the human condition -- especially as it involves competition among friends for fame and fortune. While the friends in this movie are "bit actors" operating within the "Hollywood"/cinematic context, the forces that move them -- and us, as viewers -- are universal, and could apply to any group of friends, in any situation. The premise of the movie is simple, and like many things simple, it derives from a brilliant observation: friends will be disloyal to one another if they sense the rewards of disloyalty are great enough. On the face of it, the rewards seem obvious--money and adulation--but the desire for them itself reflects the true motivation of the actor-friends: desire for simple recognition of their talent in a system that chronically ignores and demeans them as human beings, artists, and professionals and -- at best -- underutilizes what they have to offer both film-makers and audiences. In a word, they are frustrated . . . to the point of desperation. And the thought of auditioning for Martin Scorcese himself -- in a new mob movie he is casting -- is irresistible. Worth anything, in fact -- even the risk of losing the love and respect of their dearest friends. Given this powerful motivator, the "secret" about the Scorcese audition initially held by one of the friends is soon let loose, and rapidly spreads among the others like an infectious disease . . . thus creating the competitive situation that fuels the film. Unlike most comedies today, however --which pathetically attempt to garner laughs from the audience through the characters' mindless "schtick," pratfalls, and mean-spirited jabs at one other -- the humor in "With Friends Like These" derives organically from the situation the characters find themselves in, aided by their idiosyncratic personalities. Even the situation, itself, however, and the types of characters who inhabit it, would not produce the guffaws, chuckles, and deep smiles that "Friends" does, were it not for the intimate knowledge of the movie industry and actors that Phil Messina, the writer-director, brings to every frame. "With Friends Like These" is much more than a comedy: It is a perceptive depiction of the "human condition" in a modern, capitalist society,conveyed in a humorous, humanistic way. For these reasons, "With Friends Like These" -- like the exceptional films of Woody Allen -- is a rare gem that should not be missed by anyone who loves great movies.

Not half-bad indie, a little slow moving

[LilyDaleLady · 8 March 2004]

A not too bad effort at chronicling the life and hard times of barely working character actors in Los Angeles. I never know when I check out one of these low budget indies if I am going to be pleasantly surprised or grievously disappointed, so it's always nicer to be the first.

Some fine character actors on display, including David Straithairn, Amy Madigan, Adam Arkin, Beverly D'Angelo and an uncredited Bill Murray (pre-Lost in Translation). The story is a little light, even for a comedy, and doesn't really hit many strong notes, but it's nice to see something about those actors whose faces are always familiar to us and yet we rarely know their names. There is a particularly nice turn at the end, when each actor auditions for a "dream part" in a Scorcese film (the elusive goal driving the plot), and we suddenly see them as talented professionals, not goofballs and losers. This is very well done and a nice, satisfying end to the film.

If there is a major flaw -- and this is a flaw in a lotta movies -- these marginally successful actors are all depicted as living like Hollywood royalty. Big, stylish houses that would cost upwards of $1 million in So Cal! And yet these actors are clearly described as "out of work", sometimes for over a year. Get real! A real out-of-work character actor is probably living in a one bedroom apartment and lucky if he doesn't have a roommate at that! Still, as someone else wrote, it's nice anymore these days to see a movie about something besides a giant monster, space alien, things blowing up or CGI graphics. So thumbs up!

Clever, funny dialogue. Great plot, many twists and turns. See it, you won't regret it.

[baldwinsd10 · 9/10 · 5 March 2005]

It is so refreshing to watch a comedy with no slap-stick humor, only clever, funny dialogue. It was a joy to see from the beginning to end. The scriptwriter does not manipulate the audience, he draws them in with a great plot and many twists and turns. The scene in the library was a big surprise, and the ending is totally unexpected. I don't think anyone knew what would be in that suitcase. Bill Murray makes a wonderful appearance as Maurice in the party scene. I had a big chuckle watching him take home all that food! This movie takes you into the private world of struggling actors desperate enough to risk friendships in order to get that big break in their careers. Although it's all tongue in cheek I am willing to surmise the writing is based on true life experience. See it, you won't regret it!

Good look at an interesting topic

[TonyMan · 6 November 2000]

This is a very good film about the folks on the lower rung of the movie industry. I agree that David Straithairn does not get all the credit due and he really brings this movie home. The acting all around is good and examines what happens when one person out of a group of friends gets a chance at the big time. Rent this movie for a totally enjoyable 2 hours.

Great comic script performed exquisitely

[btm1 · 9/10 · 19 March 2009]

If you have a good sense of humor -- sophisticated humor, not slap stick or farce -- you will enjoy this movie about character actors and their efforts to break out of their ruts. The premise is that four actors who have long been close friends, are all dissatisfied with the parts they have been lucky to get, if they are getting them at all. Johnny DiMartino, the short obese bald member of the quartet, is called by Theresa (Beverly D'Angelo), a casting director who is a friend of the quartet, for an audition about the title role in a Marty Scorcese (who plays himself) movie about Al Capone. Only he has to keep this very hush hush. The one predictable part of the film is that keeping a secret in Hollywood is not going to happen. The first half of the movie involves the comedy of how the secret gets spread (no, not by the actors' wives, but by actor envy and insecurity). The second half deals with their preparation for the auditions, and of course the climax.

An interesting piece of trivia is that actor Robert Costanzo who plays Johnny DiMartino, the actor Theresa selected to audition for the part of Al Capone, actually played that part in "Sizzle," a 1981 ABC TV movie featuring John Forsythe and Loni Anderson.

Excllent, humorous, thoroughly entertaining, fun.

[Wally-2 · 23 September 1998]

This is a thoroughly entertaining film. It was received very well at the Santa Barbra International Film Festival. I hope it gets distribution Real Soon Now.