Palookaville

When Marlon Brando uttered the immortal line "I got a one-way ticket to "Palookaville" (in "On the Waterfront"), he was referring to his current life as washed-up boxer, crumb and stooge for the mob, living out his life in a kind of moral limbo, doing rotten things and not quite realizing their import until it's too late. The creators of this fine, quirky film reputedly got the idea for their movie from the line quoted above. Their idea of "Palookaville" is a forgotten nothing of a town where oddballs and misfits abound and where a job in the local pizzeria constitutes a career. The movie centers around a trio of professional losers, whose attempt to rob a jewelry store nets them nothing but some pastry from the bakery they break into by mistake. Their efforts to hold up armored cars yield similar results. Nearly everyone in their orbit seems to be a screw up, including their hapless girlfriends.

In spite of their criminal bent, our would-be crooks manage to be endearing (each robbery is going to be their "last job"), as is the entire movie. You find yourself rooting for them and when the intended burglary of the armored car gets them the town's highest honor (they did return the money, which makes them heroes to the town, which doesn't seem to realize what they were up to) you almost want to stand up and cheer. William Forsythe ("Gotti") anchors the film with his performance and his two dogs manage to steal several scenes. Vincent Gallo and Adam Trese are also fine as his accomplices, as is Frances McDormand, in a far-too-small role that for once emphasizes her good looks. This offbeat, comic film is definitely worth a look.

This is the 2nd film I've seen Vincent Gallo (the other one was `Buffalo 66' which was decent) act in, and I have to say this guy picks perfect roles. You forget the guy is acting, and that's the mark of a craftsman. He ends up in my favorite scene of the movie where his neighbor playfully starts a last call strip-tease after he returns home one night. Gallo this time plays Russell, who along with his buddies, do their best to bounce off the outer rim of social responsibility by tackling the next level of semi-professional burglary. Russell should have learnt long ago that you need to lock the bedroom door or something s****y is bound to happen. The performances are compelling and the writing is convincing. Above all, it's a very funny film. There are some good lines and unforgettable scenes (the moments at the dinner table come to mind). So yeah, you end up laughing more than you expected but the movie `Palookaville' actually does what it's supposed to do; it moves you. You care about what happens to these guys because they are learning more about themselves than you expect them to. As a result you don't really want this one to end early. Remember… if you ever see a legally blind person trying to board a bus with not one but two guide dogs, the small one's in training.

"Palookaville" tells of three schmucks who are determined to be crooks but somehow just can't seem to mastermind even a simple burglary. Surprisingly well scripted, acted, and directed, given the plot, this film develops and maintains the integrity of it's inept principals while walking a tightrope between comedy and drama, avoiding falling headlong into either genre. An enjoyable little flick for channel surfers.

For reasons which, to me anyway, are completely unfair, every heist movie released since 1992's RESEVOIR DOGS has been compared to that film. I agree that film was great, and obviously there have been rip-offs, but not every heist film is, and PALOOKAVILLE, a wonderful surprise, is an example. In fact, if there's any film this should be compared to, it's the 1950's Italian movie BIG DEAL ON MADONNA STREET. Like that film, this is not about hardened criminals planning a heist, but about ordinary guys who try to be criminals while juggling their lives(one is married and has a kid, one takes care of his dogs, and even the third, who's more of the criminal mind than his friends, is dreaming of going with his girlfriend to California). It's also like BOTTLE ROCKET, which is also about inexperienced thieves, but where those guys, for the most part, want to be criminals, these guys just see it as an escape. But director Alan Taylor and writer David Epstein aren't making a tract, they're making a film about characters we can relate to, and while it lags at times, this is surprising, funny, and touching. Also, the performers are all good(this is an early look at the talents of Kim Dickens and Vincent Gallo). One of the more under-rated films of the year.

Basically this is one of the finest films I saw the year it came out. American indie comedy/character cinema at its best. The trouser sniffing scene almost got me ejected from the cinema for laughing too loudly. This movie is an absolute triumph. Around the same time I caught 'Big Night', 'The Daytrippers' & 'Buffalo 66' - all great films. If you liked any of them you'll love 'Palookaville'.