Mojochi

1st off, this film's trailer completely misrepresented what it was going to be, painting it as a suburbanite dad gone rogue against the mob, to protect his family, kind of crazy ride type film. What it really is, is an unpolished Coen dark comedy akin to Fargo, that proved that there's nobody better to do a Coen story then the Coens.

Did Clooney know this was supposed to be a comedy? Clearly he's seen some of their work to know how they do them. In this one's case, it's rather nonsensical, which is not unusual for the Coens. (think The Big Lebowski) So, this movie ought to have had a similar treatment, or one that maybe leans toward Fargo's blend of quirky/funny drama

What we got was a menacing & dull oddball mess that doesn't know what it wants to be, with a B plot about 50s racism that is entirely unrelated & therefore irrelevant to the tale, & villains who are almost literally parodies of The Honeymooners Cramden & Norton, but being portrayed as edgy cutthroats, & it just doesn't fit.

In fact, none of the performances play like they should have in order to give this screenplay the proper treatment, except maybe Oscar Isaac's brief presentation. All in all, I'm not sure I've ever seen a film that more obviously misses the mark. I guess after playing buffoons for the Coens for so long, they felt they owed him a bone from the table, to chew up.

In truth, I enjoy this film very much. It is a joyous note upon a very precious pairing. These two men show us 1st hand, time and time again, how fond they are of one another, in a very tangible way, upon the screen. Their personal friendship always manages to shine though in all of their outings together, & in this film's case, it's the saving grace. The quality of their 4 film partnership is debatable, and certainly has its flaws, but it was inescapable that their bond would create fun films for millions, ever since the near miss of failing to cast Pryor in Blazing Saddles.

While none of their films together would receive the success or acclaim which that film garnered, it was clear they had something special to share together, & fortunately for us, share it they did. In fact, one of the pitfalls of their collaboration is that the quality of the productions around them saw a decline over the years. It's fair to point out that their 1st two films, Silver Streak & Stir Crazy delivered a much rawer form of comedy, in a far more audacious presentation, than this film or their last, Another You. The jokes hit harder, & the scenarios stung more wildly.

That said, while the comedy became more subdued as years passed, the focus on their bond actually became more of a highlight. This is the reason I enjoy See No Evil, Hear No Evil. These two comic actors have deeply invested themselves in a heartfelt portrayal of the burgeoning bond of their two characters, and in it, we get a glimpse of their own friendship, two men struggling through life, facing their handicaps, & finding a soul mate with whom they can share aid & comfort.

It's really a beautiful thing, that was actually somewhat more underplayed in their previous films, despite the sharper comedy. The problem with this film, despite a moderately crafty premise, & the two leads carrying it magnificently together, is that everybody else is not. The story and script writing is amusing, but middling, the direction is mediocre, (which in and of itself isn't enough to wreck the picture) but the supporting cast? In short? They're abysmal.

Two bumbling cop schmucks, a personality devoid "Mysterious" sexy villain lady, a completely forgettable sister, an awkward Mr. Big villain, & what might be the absolute worst performance in the nearly otherwise stunning career of Kevin Spacey. (Who could have possibly thought that accent was a good idea?) No sir, our lovable heroes are literally surrounded by a complete disaster of a supporting cast, in my humble opinion...... And yet..... when you get them both away from all of that, And the screen is welcoming them together, every moment is a pure joy. That's a special thing, when everything else fails you, and you still succeed.

I'm not sure what I just saw here, & how I've never even heard of this before. It is easily the most unintentionally bizarre thing ever conceived on film, & though it's a genuine failure on multiple levels (So much so that Kaufman apologized & offered people their money back on a Letterman appearance) it's not without its charms.

It's got some interesting cinematography, makeup effects by the acclaimed master of 80's FX Stan Winston & a wonderfully unprecedented synthesizer & orchestral fused score, composed by none other than the great John Williams, which lends the film some heart...beeps.

Though I'm really surprised that Carol Kane didn't end up as the female lead, Peters & Kaufman bring to the film exactly what you'd expect, as well as they likely could, & there is a root of a story in there with some actual heart.

I streamed it on Amazon. Don't watch it to see a good movie, as it may be 1 of the movie industry's biggest train wrecks. Watch it like a time capsule revealing something historical about a people who lived nearly half a century years ago & their vision of a future. 1981 was a strange time.

I swear, Andy Kaufman had the absolute strangest career in entertainment of anyone who ever breathed. It's like he lived in the cracks between where the entertainment industry reality stopped & fantasy began. If anyone else had made this movie, I'd think they had gone mental, but if you said to me Andy Kaufman made it, I'd be like "Oh... That makes sense".