Sognando Manhattan

Steve Rash's "Queens Logic" isn't a movie that most people will know, but it's worth seeing. The focus is a group of friends who get together in Astoria, New York, for one's upcoming wedding. Over the course of the movie, the characters reveal some surprising things about themselves, and at least one scene is bound to get your heart racing.

It's not a great movie by any stretch, further weakened by the fact that the director later helmed straight-to-DVD sequels to "American Pie", "Bring It On" and "Road Trip". Nonetheless, it's a fun movie that truly gives one a sense of New York. It's the sort of movie that you'll enjoy.

About to be married and suffering from cold feet, a thirtysomething Queens resident spends a wild weekend with his childhood friends who have come back to town for his bachelor party in this comedy-drama blend directed by Steve Rash. The film's most promising asset is its ensemble cast, which boasts names such as Joe Mantegna (of 'House of Games' fame), John Malkovich, Kevin Bacon and Jamie Lee Curtis, and memorable moments abound as the chums take to cruising around town in the nude and as Curtis unleashes an unexpected violent side. The film does not entirely succeed in the character department though; taken as a whole, the chums are interesting with their "wounded animals" morose bachelor party, but Mantegna as the most vivacious of the bunch is the only individual who we get to know in depth. The others have their moments, but the film never really concentrates on Bacon's pretence of being a successful actor or Malkovich grappling with the fact that his current boyfriend does not accept his old friends. Curiously enough, Ken Olin is the one friend that we learn the least about and he is the one whose second thoughts on getting married drive the film! Mantegna at least gets a decent character to work with and he has an excellent bit in which he tries to capture youthful former glory on a Queens bridge. Is the film really meant to be primarily about him though? 'Queens Logic' is certainly a pleasant enough way to pass the time, but whether one warms to the film or not may depend on how one relates to the loosely fleshed out characters.

Having viewed and enjoyed this movie years ago (and not having seen it offered since), I was excited to see it featured in my new Peacock subscription.

Unbelievably talented cast is highlighted by Joe Montegna's charming, toothpick-sporting portrayal of one of the Queens childhood buddies getting together for Ken Olin's character's upcoming marriage. Very entertaining and somewhat offbeat but I loved every minute of it. The infectious and diverse soundtrack ranges from The Delfonics to Mott the Hoople and offers other rarely heard tracks. And no one can sport a mullet like Kevin Bacon in his early years! 😁

I never really had any true friends when I was growing up (I was weird, okay), but I know that the best friends are the ones who stay around. "Queens Logic", an under-looked , sleeper indie film (unless you look really hard in the discount DVD bins) starring a name cast, proves that in the largest borough of New York City.

Wedding jitters plague Ray (Ken Olin of "thirtysomething" and a producer of "Alias"), since he's a talented painter born and residing in Queens, and is about to marry longtime sweetheart Patty (Chloe Webb) a hairdresser with a philosophical outlook. His other pals from childhood, fish marketer cousin Al (the talented Joe Mantegna of "Criminal Minds"), Al's right-hand man Eliot (John Malkovich of "Changeling"), visiting musician Dennis (Kevin Bacon) and working actor Vin (Tony Spiridakis, who co-wrote the film with Joey Savino) help him out by throwing a decent bachelor's party (men and women invited), but they each have their problems.

Despite his jester charm, Al's Peter Pan persona irritates his frustrated wife Carla (the sexy Linda Fiorentino); Eliot's a homosexual who has no desire to play "the love game"; Dennis's still struggling on making it big in Los Angeles and Vin gets one-night stands but no romance. Adulthood: IT SUCKS! But not this film.

Director Steve Rash ("The Buddy Holly Story", "Can't Buy Me Love" and the two DTV sequels to "Bring It On") is competent, but the actors help out more, pumping the tale with humanity, especially Mantegna's breezy, arrested development demeanor, Malkovich's non-stereotypical attitude and Webb's down to earth perspective. Also entertaining is Jamie Lee Curtis as a high society dame, who gives Al a lesson about maturity in a colorful way, and rocker Tom Waits as a gravel-voiced but likable lowlife associate of the gang. Look for a pre- "Will & Grace" Megan Mullany as a drunken conquest of Vin's. The film's soundtrack is littered with rock and disco tunes from the 1970s, the decade the guys grew up.

Likable, poignant, sly, funny and a love letter to its' backdrop (Queens's Hellgate Bridge is prominent here), "Queens Logic" reminds us, despite how we grow up or wherever we are in our lives, the neighborhood we grew up is part of us and vice versa, and the best friends we have reminds us of that.

Queens Logic is an excellently written film about a bunch of late thirty somethings who are still trying to figure out how to get their act together. I worry that this film is only going to be accepted locally (i.e. New York, Long Island target audience) when it really has a multitude of universal levels to it. The acting was brilliant--absolutely brilliant, from Kevin Bacon to Linda Fiorentino, Joe Mantegna and John Malkevich. The actors really understood these complex characters (Malkevich is SO good once again it's scary). And the writing and direction could not have been better for these roles. Congratulations for writing a script with so many thoughtful, intelligent and original characters which reflect so well on the time and all of our struggles to figure out what it is that makes us happy--and to do it so humorously as well. This is one of those rare very smart and very funny films. Like I said though, people who are not necessarily from the New York area may not buy or believe these characters, but I guarantee you there are so many people like them. Guarantee it. They're great people with same problems as everyone else. They just choose to deal with them on their own terms and in the best format they know how: with Queens logic.