Palookaville

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'.

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.

In New Jersey three friends are out of work and out of prospects for improvement. Their first attempt at crime fails when they break into a bakery they mistake for the back of a jewellers shop. Russell's brother in law is a cop who knows that he is up to no good, however Russell still wants the trio to do one reasonable job to help them onto their feet. The next step is the robbery of an armoured car. However, are they bad at being bad or just to good to be bad.

There have been quite a few films that make comedy of inept criminals, however this film is more than that. Rather than being figures of fun, these are good people without much hope who resort to crime in rather amateur way, for example to help plan their job they hire a 1950's crime thriller called `Armoured Car Robbery' from the video store. There are no pratfalls or physical humour but instead gentle stuff that is amusing.

The title comes from the line in On The Waterfront in which Marlon Brando bemoans his failure as a fighter as a `one-way ticket to Palookaville' or being a loser. The three men of the title are losers, but they are good, likeable people in difficult situations. Happily the film allows us into their lives so that they are not just `inept criminals' caricatures. The dialogue is involving but also snappy and witty. The strong cast help this enormously. Gallo is really good in the lead and the actual moment when he realises that he may be in a tough spot but he is not a bad person is really quite touching. Forsythe is good and wears his sensitive side well on his sleeve. Trese has the most difficult character – the danger would be he becomes the `drama' side of the film, but he handles it well with good support from his on-screen wife Hamilton. The support cast of family and lovers all are really believable characters, although the film really belongs to the lead three.

Overall I suspect many will find this slight and not as funny as they expected. However I found it a well written (sharp yet real dialogue) with respect for it's characters – finding humour in their situations and approach rather than making them comedy characters. Add this to some well pitched performances and it makes for a film that does what it sets out to do and does it better than many of it's ilk.

I'm very rarely inspired to give a film a Ten, but this must have been just the film I was in the mood to see at the time. Only a few of those consciousness-threatening laughs, but generally a warmly funny film. As a dog-hater, I'm always astonished when a dog (or two) steals the show. Palookaville's dogs were the first film roles I've ever seen for the kind of pets MY friends have in real life. My wife was so caught up in her identity with the lives of the characters, that she was at one point heard to remark "Oh, no! Don't let something bad happen in this film!" Almost made us want to go and live in New Jersey.