"The Dukes" is as warm-hearted -- and big-hearted -- as a movie can be.
The Dukes, a doo-wop vocal group, had a couple of hits just before the Beatles tsunami swept a great many pop groups somewhere beyond the sea.
these days there are teeth that need fixing, other health emergencies, an ex-wife and an elderly aunt who are as tired of overwork as they are of men who won't grow up, legal bills, and an expired liquor license. there's no money to pay for any of it -- and oldies are now free on the internet.
should The Dukes swallow their pride and do tacky TV commercials? or, cast aside their core values and commit a burglary? or, maybe a little of both?
in one of this film's many fine performances, Danny (producer/director/co-writer Robert Davi, whose own voice sings the lead in the final acappella number) wrestles with his conscience while arguing with his cousin George (Chazz "A Bronx Tale" Palminteri) about whether to pull off a heist.
at a backyard party hosted by the very successful new man in his ex-wife's life (and thus his young son's life as well), Danny deals with his jumble of emotions as subtly and as movingly as any work i've seen.
"The Dukes" has its share of sentimentality (it's a nostalgia movie, after all). and, like the vast majority of movies, a little less might have been a little more. but, it also has plenty of thrills and spills, ups and downs, and some gritty realism thrown in for spice.
so, what's not to like about this movie? well, to read The New York Times's mean-spirited review, you'd think that seeing "The Dukes" might expose the viewer to salmonella poisoning.
sample: "... it tastes like pasta sauce that has sat on the shelf long after the expiration date on the can."
the group's manager, Lou, is described as "{a} miscast Peter Bogdanovich". miscast? Bogdanovich is himself a former supernova director who soon became just another journeyman. it's perfect casting.
about Danny and George's salt-of-the-earth Aunt Vee: "... Miriam Margolyes, wildly overacting..." uh, this part did not call for Judy Dench; Margolyes was excellent just the way she was.
regarding several supporting actresses who have very ripe figures (as in HOT), there's this misogynistic bit of nastiness: "...grotesque, Fellini-size women..."
sad.
but, there's no need for the reader to be sad -- see this movie!
