Men of Respect

This is definitely worth checking out if you enjoy the story of "Macbeth". The challenge of turning the characters into mobsters was met well. It was done creatively, and it follows all the main points without cheating. John Tuturro and Peter Boyle are good; everyone else is fine. If this was a completely original work, it would rate lower, but I think it is very good considering what they were trying to do, and that's why it is ultimately satisfying. The other comments posted by another viewer are undeservedly harsh. It's a bum wrap. Again, if you like "Macbeth", this is pretty cool. If you love iambic pentameter and period pieces, go rent Roman Polanski's version of "Macbeth", or something of Shakespeare's with Kenneth Brannagh.

There are not too many really good movie versions of Macbeth, in fact I would say that there are no really good movie versions. As an English teacher, I would really like to show my students something that correctly captures the mental deterioration of the characters and accurately illustrates the violence and cruelty of Macbeth. This film is able to do that, unfortunately, due to the language, I will not be able to show it in class. But, I was pleased with this version of Macbeth. The acting is pretty good and the characters are believable mobsters. I wouldn't say that it tries too hard to follow the play; rather, I would give it credit for sticking to the play and modernizing it in a believable way. Overall, well done.

Imagine the pitch: A classic tale of betrayal, murder, deception - taking power by any means necessary. It's Macbeth - but set in the ever attractive world of American gangsters! William Shakespeare's Goodfellas! The story does lend itself to the setting unfortunately it is very boring, poorly acted and no real flair or excitment that other gangster pictures manage. It's full of good actors - none of whom are any good because they are constrained by a poor script and poor direction.

Don't watch this - go to the theatre and watch MacBeth instead.

It's probably safe to say that the majority of moviegoers in America today cannot carefully outline the plot of Shakespeare's Macbeth (on which this film is based) and probably would wonder why the main characters start chattering on about guilt so often when murder is their business--and you know how agonized John Tuturrro can be when he wants to! The film can't decide whether to be a springboard from the play, a clever re-interpretation, or a mob film with some casual references. And in any case--who was their target audience?

For those who know their bard, the fun of watching this is in the anticipation of familiar scenes or dialogue--gleeful when director Reilly decides to drag the drunken porter in after the murder of the King (read "mob boss" here), or disappointed when Lady L. doesn't go into "Out Damn Spot!!" although she is shown scrubbing her bathtub a la Mommie Dearest.

If you know the plot well, its hard to get into this remake, which isn't quite ludicrous enough to be amusing (anybody remember Ruth Roman as Lady Macbeth in an earlier remake entitled Joe Macbeth?), but is impossible to look at objectively, and thus truly enjoy as a movie experience. I wouldn't say "fly, Fleance, fly! "but neither would I generally recommended this (in spite of a compelling cast and excellent pacing) except as a quirky and often stimulating comparison with the actual play.

William Reilly's "Men of Respect," starring John Turturro and the fascinating Katherine Borowitz, is one of the few genuinely innovative gangster films produced in recent years. Chronicling the rise of a very bold, but not very decisive hit man (Turturro, the film's characters are carefully and convincingly delineated, and the frequent scenes of grotesque violence are almost a diversion from the development of the characters themselves. Although Turturro is splendid as the bloodthirsty, but slightly addled killer, the film is stolen by the performance of Ms. Borowitz, who plays his long-suffering, titanium-spined wife. Other characters include the ill-starred mob bosses played by Rod Steiger, Peter Boyle, and Rod Steiger. Other scene-stealers include three unforgettable "witches," whom Turturro consults for a glimpse of his future. If this is beginning to sound familar, it should: "Men of Respect" is a very faithful update of "The Tragedy of Macbeth!" A movie to savor, and an actress not to be forgotten.