Things Change
|
List Price: Our Price: $8.82 You Save: $6.13 (41%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $3.81 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Things Change
Movie Review: The greatest "Don" - Don Ameche in subtle mob masterpiece!
Summary: 5 Stars
Don Ameche has always been a great actor who has portrayed in role after role something most actors never achieve: Elegance. In this role of Gino, a humble cobbler, Mr. Ameche achieves something even more sublime: Quiet elegance, coupled with gracious charm that defeats even the worst intentions of all those who would want to harm this truly GENTLE man. Joe Mantegna, as Gino's "foil", is equally wonderful as a basically ignorant man with a great heart who is obviously in the wrong profession. Mamet's (and Shel Silverstein, of all people!) screenplay and direction are flawless: his story is filled with suspenseful and humorous moments piled up one after another, and all are surprising - to us as well as to Gino! Nothing is as it seems, and the finale is truly inspired! Before this film I was not impressed with Mamet's work, neither on film nor on stage. I may still not care for Mamet's work. But, "Things Change" changed my view of what he can do with a good story and great actors, at least for now. However, as Ameche/Gino says: "things change." One reviewer has compared this film to Peter Sellars "Being There", and I think the comparison is a good one. Although we are not dealing with an idiot in this movie, Mamet's film does show that (most) people will react positively to a positive impulse and allow the good in themselves to surface over avarice and other human errors. And, like Gino, this is a very gentle movie. There is virtually no violence, no rabid car chases, no steamy sex, and, much to my personal amazement, virtually none of the profanity that has littered Mamet's scripts (his profanity, in my opinion, has crippled his work for many people). Above all, though, this is Don Ameche's film. His quiet elegance, charm, and subtle humor create a character who lives in the memory long, long after the film is experienced. This movie, and his performance, are to be cherished and watched again and again. Hurrah that it is on DVD!Movie Review: The grasshopper...
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is a work of art on many levels. We have seen the premise many times for example "Being There" (1979) and "The Man Who Knew Too Little" (1997).
Only those films relied on dumb luck or just dumb. Whereas this film portrayed principle, friendship, and the person overcoming the situation without being so ignorant that he misses the point. Several times you want to close your eyes because you just know what is going to happen. And then it doesn't. One of my favorite scenes was the telling of the "Grasshopper and the ant" This is a microcosm of the movie.
The basic story is about a shoe shiner (Don Ameche) taking the place of a killer in exchange for his dream of a boat after three years of incarceration. With three days to go before the trial, the person (Joe Mantegna) assigned to watch him decides to give the shoe shiner one last fling. Starting off with mistaken identity and complications snowballing from there.
The Man Who Knew Too Little
Being There
Movie Review: David Mamet's best!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a sweet little film set in modern Mafia times in the US. Ameche [in what is arguably his best role ever] plays a poor shoemaker whose dream is to have a little fishing boat back in his village in Italy. When bumbling low-level wiseguy Joe Montagna offers him a sweet deal to falsely admit to a murder and do the time in exchange for the money to buy his boat, the plot is set.
But Montagna, sensing that something is wrong with the deal, sets out to give the old man one last fling, and so takes him [against his boss' express orders] to a Tahoe casino. While playing hooky, Montagna is recognised by an associate and must lie about his charge's identity, which sets the whole plot in motion. The pair wind up at a high-level Mafia conclave, where the old shoemaker's simple and guileless ways are taken for the wiles of an arch-strategist.
It's a poker game magnified to Machiavellian dimensions, and guess whose bluff is called. I won't spoil the endings [there are a couple of them], but suffice it to say that this classic film has a heart of gold, and is destined to be remembered as possibly the only comedy to be mentioned in the same breath as the great American opera, The Godfather.
Movie Review: Two thumbs up!
Summary: 5 Stars
Undoubtly David Mamet lived a glorious decade in these eighties. House of games , the untouchables a scripter and this one.
Don't wonder if this movie belongs to cult movie status. It's a witty comedy about an inept , poor experienced and low level gangster who suffers the consequences of his acts when he goes against the orders to take an old shoe - shine boy on one last fing just before the latter goes to prison being not guilty.
Notice this disfunctional state of mind of this rookie gangster, follows the ancient rule about the wisdom of the experience , despite this statement is not always true all the times , but it does in this case.
The laughable side about the sordid universe that surrounds the underworld has been so irreverently told as in this case.
Don Ameche (Coccon) and Mantegna (House of games and Alice) give a fine performance.
Don't miss this funny comedy. A winner film.
Movie Review: A Mamet triumph!
Summary: 5 Stars
David Mamet makes great films, but oddly some very great ones seem to go unoticed. This is probably his best film in my opinion and I loved HOUSE OF GAMES, GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, HOMICIDE(also overlooked) and THE WINSLOW BOY. It's got that whole fairy tale feel to it that is strangely and powerfully endearing. Don Ameche is a cobbler who is called by the mob to go to jail for one of theirs(for murder). He accepts and has only a few days before he must stand up in court. Joe Mantegna is a small time screw up who is assigned to deliver Ameche when the time comes. Being a compassionate man, Mantegna takes Ameche out for a last hurrah. Very, funny and charming feature co-written by Shel Sivlerstein. Also showcases the remarkable talents of Robert Prosky, Ricky Jay, J.T. Walsh and William H. Macy. Sort of like the Hal Asby classic THE LAST DETAIL. A film to be owned!