American Cousins

Occasionally, a movie made overseas for domestic filmgoers is worthy of seeking a wider audience and this gem from Britain, screened at the 2003 American Film Market, is one of them. It has a lot of good stuff going for it.

Two American Mafioso types flee to Scotland when a deal in Kiev goes wrong. In Glasgow, they hide out with Bobbie, a cousin, who operates an ice cream parlor and fish-and-chip shop. Complications arise when a couple of inept Liverpool thugs, contracted by the Russian Mob, turn up to hunt down the visitors. As if this wasn't enough, loansharks are after Bobbie to collect on a loan.

All in all, a pleasant minor comedy which I liked a lot, mainly for its good intentions and above standard acting. Danny Nucci delivers a sympathetic performance as Bobbie augmented by Scottish-born Shirley Henderson, who plays Alice his wife.. She is an actress who first came to my attention with a brilliant performance as Marie Melmonte in the PBS tv miniseries "The Way We Live Now."

'The best British rom-com/culture-clash comedy in years' it says on the DVD cover. As the writer of the above blurb, I'm happy to say I haven't changed my opinion one iota. It's basically Local Hero meets The Sopranos. After a botched European hit, Mafia types Gino (Nucci) and Settimo (Dan Hedaya) take refuge in a Glasgow fish and chip shop run by their sweet-natured, stamp-collecting cousin, the Scottish/Italian Roberto (Gerald Lepkowski). When Gino takes a shine to Roberto's fellow fryer Alice (a lazily vampish Henderson) it spurs his frustrated lovesick cousin into action and sets the scene for some hilarious one-upmanship. This really is a lovely, lovely film, beautifully performed, and by Lepkowski and Henderson in particular, as the lovers-in-waiting. Perfect for cosying up with on the sofa with someone spesh and, perhaps, a couple of kittens gamboling between your toes (gambling, even – I've nothing against cats betting among themselves.)

American Cousins was shown at the film festival market in Cannes, France, and went down a storm with the audience. Warm, funny, romantic, quirky, and a wonderful sound-track. The talk in the ladies' restroom afterward was why aren't there more movies like this; movies that make you feel good and leave you with a smile on your face.

Honestly, i went and watched this film on the recommendations and good score shown here at imdb. I laughed all the way thru this film, not because it was funny, not because it was quirky and charming, but because it was one of the worst movies I have EVER seen. Now you may say that this is being harsh, but I've seen Police Academy Mission to Moscow and that has more redeeming qualities than this film.

Even the fact that this film is based in Scotland, the beautiful country that I am from, that didn't help it. The whole plot was ludicrous, Italian mobsters with a weak family link to some people in Scotland go to stay with them at a chip shop. They even begin to work there, battering fish etc. just so laughable.

I would rant on more but I can't be bothered as this film isn't worth bothering about.

LEAVE IT ALONE!

I watched this movie for the first time on a flight back from Australia to Germany in early 2004. Living as a foreigner in a country I wasn't born in may have made me a little more susceptible to the story. And the fact that I spent three months in Scotland a couple of years ago also helped. Anyway, I liked the story a lot.

Mind you it is not without fault but not many films are. They are just as fallible as their creators I daresay. It is worth watching though and the cast (especially the late great Russell Hunter) delivered a most believable performance. If there are some stereotypical characters in the story - so what? Ever watched one of the so-called Hollywood blockbusters? That's what I call so stereotypical that it actually hurts my intellect just to think that I wasted my hard-earned money on that kind of rubbish.

I wish there were a lot more films like that one!

Mille grazie, Sergio.