Simply Perfect

Awesome Movie

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

On the surface, this is a light drama-comedy-mystery about five young preppy guys who kidnap a professional criminal who they think is the master of criminals, because the sister of one of the young men is kidnapped, and they want to use him as leverage.There is the usual red herring and counter bluffs and all the movie stuff that makes the geeks happy.This is really not about the story, however. It is more how the more successful underworld people deal with upper crust people, in this case with the criminal the older, wiser guy who is more than supportive of his kidnappers, even after they cut off his finger.He sees them for what they are. In fact, one he even calls "the man", a young nerd who had no part in the kidnapping, but who is used by the others. This respect for the young man is symbolic of the film. All through it, the other four give away their characters to him, and even those who cause him suffering, he relents to and works with, save for one whom he realizes is not capable of being reasoned with.The movie has dull filmography, cinematography, and scenery, so it lags quite a bit, and comes across as something that actually works better on stage. Putting this on film wasn't the best idea. Still, it has some assets.

You're not missing much story wise, if that's all you're interested in. Instead the story sets the context for that strange protagonist switch that starts to evolve throughout the movie, culminating in what I thought was a brutally efficient thought-provoker above that of the Warhol Soup Can.Yeah I just praised this movies sense of art more so than a widely respected and acclaimed cultural icon. Sue me.Starring the kid from Rosanne was a nice touch I thought, his character is so pitiful its hard not to feel bad for him, and he conveys that pretty well... Giving a stark contrast between the seemingly ignorant yet vicious character played by Jay Mohr, as well as the seemingly compassionate yet troubled character played by Jeremy Sisto.... Walken does Walken tied down in a chair most of the flick. 'Nuff said. No really, you *know* he's mafioso, yet the situation he's in could make one ponder that his motives are actually true and just... Not just the typical ruthless mobster. Hence the protagonist switch.It's that thought alone that brings a lot of artistic value to this film. I thought about pre-judgement and true common sense. That's the artistic quality of a painting, right? It evokes thought, and emotion...On that note, some of the acting is pretty unbelievable, but the usual contrast by a more talented actor makes the emotional twist of this movie sink in a bit.Not a film for the ages, but this should be watched in film studies. The movie itself conveys the same thought I mentioned previously: It's so campy and low budget, yet keeps you hooked with the awesomeness of Leary and Walken. And now that you've bitten, the movie delivers on a promise that you thought it couldn't make.Post-Modernity :D

If someone told there was a worse 'comedy/drama/mob movie' than "The Whole 9 Yards" I would have found that hard to believe. Not after watching this absolute garbage of a movie.As another writer put it, if you like this movie, I don't want to know you. Bad acting, bad script, and nihilistic stupid ending.Everyone dies except the bad guys, who get away with multiple murders, in a script that makes no sense.Wow, what is not to love?Two stars for production values that are not totally in the toilet. Avoid at all costs.

A sort of frat boy and his girl friend get lost in uptown New York and the girl is kidnapped. Two million dollars in ransom is demanded. Her finger arrives in the mail. (I think this is what happens anyway. I missed a few critical minutes at the beginning.) The frat boy organizes a handful of his upper-middle-class friends and they manage to kidnap a notorious capo, Christopher Walken, who is either behind the kidnapping or knows who is, and so will help them retrieve the rest of her body, minus the finger. They chloroform him and take him to an empty mansion on Long Island where, to convince him they are hard-hearted and determined, instead of the inexperienced nudniks they are, they remove his finger while he's unconscious.Walken wakes up in this large house belonging to one of the preppies and the rest of the film is taken up with his trying to get the girl back from the wheelchair he is duct-taped into.Doesn't sound too promising. It's mostly shot on one set, like a filmed play. But three things lift this effort above the level I'd expected.One is the working out of the plot, which has several unexpected pirouettes. The kidnapping is pegged by the mob almost immediately as "an inside job," which is about as far as attorney-client privilege will allow me to go.The second is the dialog, which has innumerable sparkles in it -- and that's critical because it's a talky movie. Some lines are very amusing. Some are dead serious. Here's one of the funnier ones. Walken is taped into his chair and has to pee. So how will it be managed? Do they free his hands, something they're understandable loathe to do, or does somebody unzip Walken and make sure he evacuates his bladder in a tidy manner? ("Aim him good!", cries the chubby little kid whose parents own the mansion.) While this mission is being discussed, Walken contributes his point of view. "If somebody is going to be holding hands with my ****, can I at least get a drink first? I'm not asking for dinner and dancing. I'm not asking for a commitment." The third is the acting. Man, do these guys put it across. Especially notable are Dennis Leary as Walken's chief agent, and Walken himself. Neither steps wrong. Christopher Walken is a marvelous actor. He's confined to a chair. He's bled half to death. He's strung out behind some analgesics and booze. And his set expression is one that artfully blends boredom with mild interest in the proceedings. At times he speaks like the soul of reason amidst these adolescent collisions of will. The director, Peter O'Fallon, gives us multiple reaction shots of Walker placidly watching the arguments and barbs being thrown back and forth by his captors, and they're funny as hell.But don't be misled. It's not ALL talk. There's action too for the aficionados. Several shootings take place and while none of them results in a bath tub full of gore and splattered brains, none is done for laughs either.It's well written, nicely directed, and the cast is fine.