John Huston, as he reached the end of his life, was clearly searching for new ground to cover as a director. In this film he may have put a foot wrong, but that's not to say this isn't a very, very enjoyable film.
You can sense from the quality of the performances the willingness of the actors to do anything for the chance to work with the legendary actors. There is a virtual clinic put on by all the key performers in this movie, from Jack Nicholson putting on a very convincing Brooklyn accent to depict a hard-nosed, not-too-bright tough guy to Kathleen Turner as his romantic and professional foil. Turner, in this film gives us the blueprint for how James Bond could ever be depicted as a woman. She sizzles with cool.
For my money, one of the most amazing, terrifying performances I've ever seen is William Hickey as Don Prizzi in this film. His voice is not intimidating but his demeanor is. The detachment and reserve in his voice makes his cool demeanor all the more terrifying. He was so scary that I actually wondered if it was a joke. It nearly veers into farce, it's so scary. He steals every scene he is in as the aging mob boss. Honestly I found Angelica Huston's performance a bit one-note. She had the look of a hangdog puppy in the picture and I didn't feel much charisma emanating from her.
I thought softening up a wonderful plot with some sentimentality was not the best decision but the acting, direction, and the fencing between the two leads make this a very enjoyable movie.
You can sense from the quality of the performances the willingness of the actors to do anything for the chance to work with the legendary actors. There is a virtual clinic put on by all the key performers in this movie, from Jack Nicholson putting on a very convincing Brooklyn accent to depict a hard-nosed, not-too-bright tough guy to Kathleen Turner as his romantic and professional foil. Turner, in this film gives us the blueprint for how James Bond could ever be depicted as a woman. She sizzles with cool.
For my money, one of the most amazing, terrifying performances I've ever seen is William Hickey as Don Prizzi in this film. His voice is not intimidating but his demeanor is. The detachment and reserve in his voice makes his cool demeanor all the more terrifying. He was so scary that I actually wondered if it was a joke. It nearly veers into farce, it's so scary. He steals every scene he is in as the aging mob boss. Honestly I found Angelica Huston's performance a bit one-note. She had the look of a hangdog puppy in the picture and I didn't feel much charisma emanating from her.
I thought softening up a wonderful plot with some sentimentality was not the best decision but the acting, direction, and the fencing between the two leads make this a very enjoyable movie.