Distractions à Denver quand sonne le glas

When Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction hit the scene in 1994, it took filmmakers and cinephiles by surprise that a film involving murder, betrayal, and theft could also be so wickedly funny and hilariously in its conversational fluidity. Tarantino was fearless, not worried about halting the plot-progression for just a short amount of time so the characters could ramble or comment on something random and completely off topic. As simple as it was, it was surprising to many; here was dialog unrelated to the plot and central story being used with such confidence.

Because of how Tarantino took convention and ordinary crime-drama filmmaking by storm, he obviously spawned many inspirations and "copycats." I only bring this up because, for reasons I have trouble understanding, people have written off Gary Fleder's Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead off as a Pulp Fiction ripoff. Since its release in 1995, the film has gone far under the radar and scrutinized, only to be viewed by the curious cinephile or a hardened crime drama fan; consider me both.

The film stars Andy Garcia, a leading man I, and many, it appears, have forgotten about as much as we forgot about this particular film. He plays "Jimmy the Saint," an ex-con looking to get out of the business and run his own shop where people record their wills for their family and friends before they die. Catering to the business serves as his day job, until he's approached by his paraplegic boss "The Man With the Plan" (Christopher Walken), who requests his services for one more little odd job. Unsurprisingly, the job goes wrong, and this means Jimmy is in the hottest water. Now, Jimmy must find a way to secure his own future, as well as continue to maintain stable connections, while pleasing his newfound love interest (Gabrielle Anwar) through all this chaos. In the meantime, we are introduced to a wide variety of characters played by big-name actors: a quiet hit-man nicknamed "Mr. Shhh" (Steve Buscemi), ex-gangster "Pieces" (Christopher Lloyd), petty-thug "Big Bear Franchise" (William Forsythe), the loquacious "Easy Wind" (Bill Nunn), and the argumentative and angry "Critical Bill" (Treat Williams).

The film bears a relatively age-old story, but the film is complicated by strangely vague dialog and an overabundance of characters with unique names. The dialog itself seems to be describing linear, straight-forward statements and requests and loading them with slang and alienating jargon that takes a great deal of time getting used to.

Once one comes to terms with the dialog, at hand, Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead becomes your average mob flick, comfortably paced, sometimes fun in a gloomy way, and often brooding and dark, like the dapper characters it focuses on. If director Gary Fleder and writer Scott Rosenberg (who's eclectic filmography includes the amiable Kangaroo Jackand the wildly misunderstood Pain & Gain) has anything down here, it's the films tone, which knows when to be comedic and when to be haunting at just the right times.

Consider the scene when this particular operation goes wrong, and Jimmy and his gang land themselves in hot water. Up until this scene, the film has maintained a traditionalist mobster theme of being mildly dark and slightly comedic. When this incident occurs, it suddenly all goes black and the seventy of the gang's actions finally catch up to them. Fleder shows this nicely and packs a lot of character intrigue here with such a great cast.

Films centered around crime and the mobster lifestyle are often broken up into three categories with cinephiles: the classics, Scorsese, and everything else. While Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead exists in the latter, it is nothing shy of an enjoyable and intriguing viewing. The actors possess enough charisma and charm to carry out a screenplay like this, Fleder's direction always seems to hit the right tones, and Rosenbaum's writing always finds ways to take dark and exciting turns. The fact that the film has somehow mingled its way into being mistaken for a clone of one of the most popular crime dramas of all time is quite a shame because of how much quality is in its product to begin with.

Starring: Andy García, Christopher Walken, Christopher Lloyd, William Forsythe, Bill Nunn, Treat Williams, Steve Buscemi, Gabrielle Anwar, Jack Warden, and Fairuza Balk. Directed by: Gary Fleder.

This is an excellent film that has interesting characters, a tricky plot line and alot of cool phrases/sayings. This is a movie critizied for copying Pulp Fiction, but it's not the same kind of movie. It's script was made before Pulp Fiction and is more complex then Pulp fiction. Steve Buscemi is a standout in the cast as a deadly hitman named Mr. Shh, and also noticeable is Treat Williams who is the psychotic Critical Bill. This is a totally original film that should be recognized and talked about, it only had bad timing on it's release.

I just wanted to choose one movie out of all the movies I've seen - per chance, I've got something like a list - and vote for it here. I happened to choose "Things to Do in Denver when You're Dead", I read a few comments, voted my 8 out of 10 and then I thought: Well, I guess I could easily write an own comment about this one quite quickly. So here is what I feel about it.

Generally, I'm a person who objects decisively to too much violence and obscenity, but still I like so much about this movie. I would have avoided many scenes and sure it is also a bit too pathetic, but it's also melancholic and poetic. Never before "good gangsters" have been as likeable as here - despite all that exaggerated kind of stuff they talk. As I told you, there is this dark poetry in this picture. The jeopardy of life in which the gangsters find themselves, their only hopes and the way they take it. There is also an unhappy love-story in this movie, no special one whereof you'd remember anything great or particularly touching, but it fits into the picture.

Already when you watch the opening scene of the movie - which you might feel quite uncomfortable about - you know that this is a unique and unconventional movie which doesn't like the word *taboo*. Therefore - there IS too much violence and obscenity in it. But also this is - depending on the way you look at it - fascinating: You don't care when someone is shot, but nethertheless you think you DID care for the main characters.

And finally the performances must be mentioned. They are really extremely fine and very charming. First of all Andy Garcia's in the lead. I've seen him in a few other movies before, but I didn't know what a good actor he is. In this movie he is absolutely brilliant, he's so very likeable - and melancholic when still full of joy. Christopher Walken of course is always fine, as is Christopher Lloyd as the leper (if he actually is one, tasteless but very very grotesque and funny!) and it's Treat Williams who stands out. Fairuza Balk also deserves being mentioned. And - it's some time ago that I saw the movie, so I can't actually recall why, but - I remember that I also enjoyed Jack Warden, who had a supporting role, very much.

It would be hard to dislike a film that opens with a Tom Waits tune and gives hitherto typecast actors a chance to, oh, I don't know: Act. First, Andy Garcia. What can I say about Andy? He's an attractive guy who all too often gets slated to play "the attractive guy." (His shamefully undeveloped character from Ocean's Eleven comes to mind). In this little indy film he gets a chance to actually embody a character and not simply be Andy Garcia (with capital letters). Then there's his love interest, Gabrielle Anwar (who elevated the already immortal tango in Scent of a Woman). Poor Anwar has been plagued with a lot of stock roles in lame movies since then, but here, like Garcia, she gets to explore her role and show the audience she can do more than make "hey I'm famous. Where's my check?" Al Pacino look good on the dance floor. Also fantastic are Treat Williams, Steve Buscemi, and Christopher Walken (who bests his Annie Hall AND Pulp Fiction cameos). The story is simple: Andy's character is an ex-mob guy who's gone legit then pulled back in for one last job, things go wrong, and he's got 2 days before he's going to be killed. In many hands this would be a B movie, but the writing is so clever and unique that this excessively played mob-movie thing seems like it's done for the first time. There are as many quotable lines in this film as any cult classic; my favorites include: "I knew the kid was lunchy, but not that lunchy." and meeting Anwar's character for the first time: "What's your name?" "Dagney." "Dagney? Wonderful name. Everyone should know a Dagney."

If you like films like Usual Suspects that combine the action genre with actual thought and character development rent this film and see if you can watch it only once. In the same ballpark try Way Of The Gun with Benicio Del Toro and Ryan Phillippe, another film where "pretty boys" are actually allowed to explore their craft of acting.

I feel that a hell of a lot of ppl missed the point on this one; it is less a Tarantino-esque hip, Godfather mob drama, than a meditation on life and death, and the frustration of mortality.

Centered around Garcia's character Jimmy, the film follows him tying up his loose ends, after his gang botch up an 'action', and are given a 48hr suspended death sentence by bitter crimelord Walken, before the deadly assassin Mr Shh (Buscemi) is called in. Feeling responsible, and desperate to tie up as many loose ends in his life, the film finds Jimmy constantly striving to choose between options, and to try and finish nobly, and rectify his perceived wrongs. These include trying to secure his fellow gang members (Lloyd, Nunn, Forsythe and the crazed Williams), ensure the wellbeing of prostitute Balk, and ignore his love for Anwar, to avoid dragging her in with him. Throughout it all, Jimmy only succeeds in isolating himself further, fighting his fears and dreams with his logic and pride. Yet as Warden narrates, there is a sense that Jimmy's peace is just around the corner, if only he can do the right things.

Garcia truly tranmits his character's pain and suffering, most pertinently through the changing look on his eyes and face as the deadline nears - he tries to maintain his grace, but cant quite hide his fears. All the support are great - Walken and Buscemi as per usual are suitably fearful, Williams and Lloyd in particular represent lost souls going down defiantly very well, whilst the underused women are perfect - Anwar doing well with unhelpful scenes, and Balk truly outstanding as the prostitute with the zeal and realism that Jimmy so badly needs. The dialogue is at times cheesy and clunky, and the mob feel somewhat overdone, but the film feels true, and makes a valuable point about targets, and the temporality of life. And it refuses to lose hope, as proved by the final boat scene.

Similar to Spike Lee's new film, the issues of mortality, and aspirations and dreams are key. The film's sombre tone is perfect - not too downbeat (there are many hilarious and happy moments), but enough to make us understand the importance of the issues at stake. Aside from staunch, happy-to-be-cynical other imdb reviewers, the film will affect, and perhaps even instruct. Recommended.