Why Me?

My review was written in July 1989 after watching the movie at a TImes Square screening room. (NOTE: many months passed after this advance screening before the film was released in Paris and then In the U. S.).

Caper comedy "Why Me?" is a frantic but only intermittently funny U. S. vehicle for French star Christophe Lambert. Gallic reaction should be brisk, but pic shapes as a weak entry for American audiences.

Film just opened in Paris and is due out May 4 in the U. S. Pic is a throwback to '60s-style films -not surprising since it's based on a followup novel to Donald Westlake's "The Hot Rock", which spawned the 1972 Fox film and was followed up in '74 by "Bank Shot".

With aid of rewrite, Lambert follows in the footsteps of previous pics' Robert Redford and George C. Scott as the charming con man who's an expert safecracker. Teamed with sidekick Bruno (Christopher Lloyd in a variety of wacky costumes) and girlfriend June (Kim Greist), he steals the cursed ruby, the Byzantine Fire. This sets up a film-long chase around Los Angeles for the stone, wanted by the police, other criminals, the Turkish government and a nutty gang of Armenian terrorists.

Helmer Gene Quintano has fun with the knockabout chases and slapstick (often using distorting camera angles) but this material is old hat. "A Fish Called Wanda" proved the traditional caper film isn't dead, but "Why Me?" lacks its inspired casting and hilarious bits.

Lambert isn't funny in the lead role, though his scary stunt work dangling from a skyscraper in the finale is impressive (and, again, well-suited to French audiences, being in a Jean-Paul Belmondo mold). Rest of the cast plays it overly cutesy, except for J. T. Walsh who's effective as the mean police chief.

Tech credits are first-rate, with a bouncy score by Basil Poledouris.

Well, I've seen Adrenaline, anyway. And... no, that's about it.

Why Me? sort of falls between two stools: it's not shoulder-dislocatingly funny either by intention or by good old-fashioned ineptitude, which makes watching it a bit of a pointless exercise. The old jewel-thieves-in-over-their-heads caper has been done to death, and the combination of Christophers Lambert and Lloyd provides the film with a distinct reek of B-list. Neither are wacky enough to be engaging for very long: Lloyd's clearly only there for the money, and you get the impression that Lambert's actually toning down his natural dementia. He's one of the most charismatic actors around, but it's just not given the chance to shine through here. (Only one "heh heh heh" as well. Or perhaps there were more during the times I fell asleep.)

So then, Why Me?: brief moments of promise amidst the sadly overwhelming boredom and confusion. No wonder nobody's ever heard of it.

"Why Me?" isn't a monumental achievement in film history, but its sure worth the rental. Like "The Drew Carey Show", it provides a lot of jokes from insults. Well, this derives a lot of them from the wonderfully bitter J.T. Walsh, who is great in this movie, as he is in most of his. He curses endly. In one scene, his assistant tells him to watch his language in his statement, that it might be on the six o'clock news, to which he replies "I don't give a f--k if they put it on the sides of milk cartons". Because of the fact that it doesn't carry a lot of weight, it works well as a lighthearted piece, accompanied by the bouncy-friendly score in it. Lambert is also a joy. A friend called it a "sweet" film, and it is. The bad people aren't really that bad. Quite goofy fun. Rent it if you get the chance.

Christopher Lambert just happens to be in the burglary business with his future father-in-law, Christopher Lloyd. When by complete accident they steal a priceless ruby ring, all hell breaks loose, with the Turks, the police, and the local hoods, all after them. "Why Me?' is very much in the same spirit as a Woody Allen film like "Small Time Crooks", only with bigger laughs. J.T. Walsh, plays the Los Angeles Chief of Police, and has many memorable lines of deadpan humor, while Michael J. Pollard makes an appearance as a discriminating fence. One highlight is a "stoolie" who will only enter the witness protection program, if J.T. Walsh provides him with a sex change operation. The movie is so off the wall, that you can't help but like it. Recommended. - MERK

This is a Romantic comedy, I believe it is not supposed to be as realistic as people are hoping it to be. I had great laughs with this movie, and considering I watched it at midnight and managed to laugh and not fall asleep, I should say this movie is, at least in my opinion, funny! And another thing, The Laird character is what most people would wish for, someone who is unique and peculiar but you know for sure they are head over heels for you. In one word, although not realistic, if I should be blessed as to find a partner with laird-like devoted qualities... I would definitely tie the knot This is just my opinion, it's not meant to be universal 😉