Now if you picked up the 'New York Times' film section, and then went on to read "The films of Louis Malle have touched the hearts and minds of audiences everywhere, and the critics agree, he is one of the most important filmmakers of his generation". Would you watch this movie? Yeah. This one Directed by Louis Malle; and Starring: Donald Sutherland, Jack Warden, and Sean Penn? It was made in 1984 and lasts for 91 minutes.
Crackers
THE STORY:
Although on the surface, Weslake (Donald Sutherland), Boardwalk
(Larry Riley), Turtle (Wallace Shawn), Dillard (Sean Penn), and Ramon (Trinidad
Silva), are five completely different people, with five completely different
problems to contend with, underneath it all, they all have the said-same thing
in common.
Hey! Don't get the wrong idea! I'm not talking about the
sex-kitten traffic-warden, Maxine (Christine Baranski), silly. She's for
Weslakes hands only. What I'm talking about instead, folks, is that they're all
unemployed, they're all penny-less, and they all want to rob exactly the same
place.
Yeah. That's right. It's that dusty old pawn-shop they all hang
around in belonging to that surly skin-flint named Garvey (Jack Warden). Just
the other day he had to go out of town to visit his sick old Mum, leaving it
relatively unsecured, thanks to Dillard's makeshift security system.
Ha! Now can you see where this is all headed, folks? All
Weslake and the guys have to do next, is figure out a way of breaking in, without getting caught. Simple as that. Right?
No. Wrong. Then again, that's most probably why what next
transpires gets kicked to the curb when a plan is set in motion. As romance is
in the air - a group of thieves show some flair - a burglary is suddenly cut
short - and at the end of the day friendship is something that isn't very easily
bought.
THE REVIEW:
In many ways I'd say that 'Crackers' is a film very much of
its time. Well, not only is it rather funny and somewhat charming as a whole,
but it's also one of those movies I'd always sit down and watch, if it ever pops
up on the television.
Here. Let me tell you why. (1) OK. So I wouldn't call this
film a laugh out loud gag-fest. Agreed. But what I would call it, folks, is a
very amusing comedy that has some very witty moments scattered throughout it. I
mean, have you ever seen a scene where a man is trying to chat up a woman
whilst carrying his own baby in his arms? Or what about a scene where another
chap eats cat food whilst planning a heist with his chums? (2) On a purely narrative
level this movie is all over the place structurally. One minute it focuses on
the 'heist' part of the story-line. While the next minute is focuses on one the
secondary sub-plots. Hey! Don't get me wrong. This isn't a judgment call I'm
making. It's just an observation is all. Nothing more. Nothing less. (3) If
you're a big fan of one-dimensional characters with three-dimensional
attributes, look no further, because this is defiantly the film for you. You
name it. It has it. One way of another there is a great character on offer that
has some very memorable character traits. For example, Wallace's character is
always eating. Larry's character is nigh on always hold his cute baby. Sean's
character is always pining over the girl of his dreams. Plus Donald's and
Trinidad's
characters have a somewhat assertive way about them, despite exploring this
particular trait, depending on their age and race. (5) As implied in my previous
two statements, there are quite a few silly sub-plots floating all over this
flick. Now I'm sure there's some people our there that might find this sort of
thing rather distracting within a story such as this one. Me, though -- nah --
I kind of liked it. Inadvertently it gave each character a chance to define who
they are as people, even though, on occasion, I would have preferred it if the
main 'heist plot-line' took center stage. (6) The three principle
female leads in this film are as charming as charming can be. Especially Christine
Baranski. My God! She is defiantly a sight for saw eyes I can tell you.
Wink-Wink! (7) Oh! While I'm on the topic of women, I've got to mention that I
wasn't too sure about the Sean Penn / Tasia Valenza romantic sub-plot myself.
Sometimes it was quite pleasant. Other times I would have favored to watch the
main tale in itself. 50 / 50.
Hey, pal! Can you guess what I'm going to be talking about next?
No. Not porn. Filmic-facts, silly. (1) 'Universal Pictures' first screened this
production at the 'Sundance Film Festival' in the same month Vanessa Williams
was asked to resign as 'Miss
America'
-- January, 1984. (2) Loosely translated, this project was entitled 'High
Incompetence' in
Brazil;
'The Usual Suspects Made in the
USA'
in
Italy; and
'Five Crooks Do Break' in
Germany.
(3) Jeffrey Alan Fiskin, who wrote the screenplay for this crime-caper, also
wrote such TV movies as 'The 70's', 'The 60's', and 'From the Earth to the
Moon'. (4) The Australian tagline used to promote this picture, was, 'The comedy that dreams the
impossible scheme!'.
(5) Although this flick isn't connected
to the 1998 Australian comedy of the same name -- 'Crackers' -- it is connected
to the 1958 Mario Monicelli film -- 'Big Deal on Madonna Street' -- because
it's a remake. The only difference though, is that the last version was made in
Italy, whilst this
version was shot throughout the American state of
San
Francisco. (6) If you've taken the previous fact into
account, do you think it's just a coincidence that Sean Penn married Madonna
after he starred in this comedy? Ha!
(7) This was the
second of four collaborations between the director, Louis Malle, and the actor,
Wallace Shawn. The other three included the 1980 crime drama, '
Atlantic
City', the 1981 biographical melodrama, 'My
Dinner with Andre', and the 1994 rom-com, 'Vanya on
42nd
Street'. (8) The pretty Mexican lady who played
Maria in this comedy, Tasia Valenza, was the voice over artist on such video
games as 'Marvel Heroes', 'Batman: Arkham City', plus 'Star Wars: The Old
Republic'. (9) After its initial screening in 1984, the film was entered into
the 34th Berlin Film Festival.
Overall I'd say that 'Crackers' is a pretty decent film to
sit down and watch. All of the characters were well defined. The story was both
multifaceted and flim-flammy in execution. Plus on a personal note, I liked it;
and that enough for yours truly.
Nuff said.
THE RATING: B+
