By Ron Wilkinson May 20, 2008, 15:54 GMT
A sweet and tidy “neo-noir” underworld thriller with a heart, thanks to excellent performances by the lead trio and the great setting in the seedy underworld of gambling con-artists
Oscar nominated Chazz Palminteri (Woody Allen’s “Bullets Over Broadway”) pulls a rabbit out of the hat with this great performance as a dad who has forgotten fatherhood. He is Yonkers Joe, one of the slickest and most seasoned con-men working the East Coast. Christine Lahti as his girlfriend Janice and Tom Guiry as his son Joe Jr. turn in sizzling supporting roles set in the gritty gambling dens of Atlantic City and Las Vegas.
Lahti comes to this film with an Oscar win to her credit (Best Short Film, Live Action: “Lieberman in Love”--1995) as well as a nomination for Best Supporting Actress with Goldie Hawn in Jonathan Demme’s “Swing Shift” in 1984.
Joe, Janice, and several other colorful hangers-on form a team of con artists who prowl the clubs up and down the east coast looking for new ways to outwit the security cameras and the people behind them. Some of these tricks are downright scientific, what with the ultraviolet lights and the fake pants pockets. At times, the going can get rough and there is always a very touchy muscleman in the crowd to remind the audience that they definitely should not try this at their local casino.
As Joe, Janice and their co-conspirators are getting old they figure they need one last big job (OK—we’ve seen this before). Joe thinks he has the key to the best scam of all time, but he needs a trusted partner to help pull it off. It is an all-or-nothing illusion. If anything goes wrong they will be left with no way out. But if it works the way it should, they will all get their wish, which is to get out of the business for good.
Into this routine scenario comes Joe, Jr., Joe’s 21 year old son who has been severely mentally disabled since birth. He has little control over what he says, has the IQ of a five year old and can be violent and insulting at times. The set-up reminds us of the neat Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise vehicle “Rain Man” where they play the Babbitt brothers, with gambling-addict Charlie (Cruise) looking for a way to capitalize on “idiot-savant” Hoffman’s (Raymond) rocket-scientist mathematical skills.
But this film manages to go well beyond that on several levels.
First of all, Joe, Sr. feels much for responsibility for his son than swinger Charlie cares for his brother. Palminteri’s deadly serious demeanor greatly outweighs Cruise’s glib approach. This provides a much more satisfying ending to the film as we empathize more with Chazz than we did with Tom. Palminteri brings an “Atlantic City” or “The Grifters” feel to the part, whereas Cruise and Hoffman were more like the Smother’s Brothers.
Speaking of “The Grifters,” Christine Lahti manages to bring very nearly as much power to her part in this film as Anjelica Huston brought to her part as mob moll and con-artist Lilly Dillon in that classic gambling con film. Lahti and Palminteri are just about as good as it gets as they stare each other down when it comes to what is right and what is wrong. She drives him top distraction, to the point of violence that breaks off at just the last moment. They have powerful screen chemistry in this picture.
This brings us to Tom Guiry playing the troubled Joe, Jr. he does not have a hugely dynamic part in this film, but he still brings 110% of his character to the screen. He loses nothing of Hoffman’s performance and manages to bring a little more to the role in eventually understanding more about his father than one would have suspected.
Cinematographer Michael Fimognari does a great job of bringing the audience into the dark and mysterious dens of the underground con community. He keeps the tone on the low-down and brings out the dark doubts of the characters who are never sure they will survive the next con. The craps action provides lots of table level shot opportunities with the camera looking at the cast at odd and unnerving angles.
A very entertaining down and dirty gangster thriller thanks to a great screenplay by Robert Celestino and outstanding soulful performances by the three leads.
Release: Tribeca Film FestivalMPAA: Not RatedRuntime: 101 minutes Country: USALanguage: English Color: Color
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