This 1991 release,featuring Sly Stallone's first all-on comedy role since the legendarily panned "Rhinestone" (Unless you count "Tango and Cash" as a comedy,which to me wouldn't be entirely accurate)is a film that got lost in the shuffle of his large cannon of movies(many of which earned him a reputation for being someone who either chose bad film scripts or actually hurt the material he chose to do). That,to me,seems highly unfair,for this movie is a pleasant treat. A nutty comedy that plays like an English farce.
"Snaps"Provolone(Stallone) promises his dying father that he will quit the gangster business and become legit. On the morning he is to go to work on the board of trustees at a large bank,he is confronted by a number of problems. I won't go into the specifics so as to a)not spoil the plot and b)conserve on writing space,as the movie uses farce devices to full advantage. The principle obstacles include his embezzling accountant(Anthony Spano),his bored and temperamental daughter(Marisa Tomei,pre-"My Cousin Vinny"),his scheming maid(Jocelyn O'Brien),his high-strung wife(Ornella Muti,ravishing),the rival gangsters who are bucking to take over his action,the feds that are watching Snaps' every move and his henchmen(Chazz PAlminteri and Peter Riegert,both fantastic!). Thrown into the mix is a erudite but not-unsympathetic diction instructor(Tim Curry),tailor brothers(MArtin Ferrero and Harry Shearer)who figure prominently in the morning's events somehow,a woman claiming to be his daughter(Elizabeth Barondes)and a new maid(Dallas'Sue Ellen,Linda Gray). Kirk Douglas' cameo as Stallone's dying father was VERY choice as well.
John Landis,an ace in terms of nailing comedy devices,either is a great fit for this adaptation or his direction is able to bring the best out of everyone involved,particularly Stallone,who shows that he CAN put his name behind a watchable,entertaining film that doesn't involve excessive(if any)violence. A great cheap rent!
"Snaps"Provolone(Stallone) promises his dying father that he will quit the gangster business and become legit. On the morning he is to go to work on the board of trustees at a large bank,he is confronted by a number of problems. I won't go into the specifics so as to a)not spoil the plot and b)conserve on writing space,as the movie uses farce devices to full advantage. The principle obstacles include his embezzling accountant(Anthony Spano),his bored and temperamental daughter(Marisa Tomei,pre-"My Cousin Vinny"),his scheming maid(Jocelyn O'Brien),his high-strung wife(Ornella Muti,ravishing),the rival gangsters who are bucking to take over his action,the feds that are watching Snaps' every move and his henchmen(Chazz PAlminteri and Peter Riegert,both fantastic!). Thrown into the mix is a erudite but not-unsympathetic diction instructor(Tim Curry),tailor brothers(MArtin Ferrero and Harry Shearer)who figure prominently in the morning's events somehow,a woman claiming to be his daughter(Elizabeth Barondes)and a new maid(Dallas'Sue Ellen,Linda Gray). Kirk Douglas' cameo as Stallone's dying father was VERY choice as well.
John Landis,an ace in terms of nailing comedy devices,either is a great fit for this adaptation or his direction is able to bring the best out of everyone involved,particularly Stallone,who shows that he CAN put his name behind a watchable,entertaining film that doesn't involve excessive(if any)violence. A great cheap rent!