Speakeasy

Call me old=fashioned, but I hanker after movie content where men aren't monsters and couples get along. I like a small comedy of manners that gives itself time to develop characters and observe them in action. There is a curious unreality about Speakeasy because both the above are not available in contemporary American life. The media terrorises the public, corporate employers keep wage-slaves' noses to the grindstone, genders are confused, and there is little room in the market for a film like this. It's an exercise in leprechaunish whimsy, with the main character one of those sad party magicians who never grew up, saddled with a barren wife who makes up for having no children by fighting with her father, torturing her partner and flirting with an old schoolfriend. Mr Hickman, a.k.a. The Great Bandini, has a fantasy friend who makes magical music boxes and has a sexy Chicano wife with a deaf daughter. There's a lot of US sign language, which was very today two years ago but now seems faded. Even the BBC news has sign language today. The deaf father has a curious past and an amusing secret treasure that is wildly implausible but works in this fantasy setting. Somehow, Hickman's patience, devotion and constance culminate in a healing for his wife, and they all live happily every after. If you willingly suspend your disbelief, this picture is a welcome foray into peace of mind and gentility of nature. If not, it will seem slight, even daft. It's a mood piece, and enjoying it is a question of mood, too.

"Speakeasy" is an engaging drama. It's being dumped on video with little fanfare. The other "Project Greenlight" film: "Battle of Shaker Heights" is complete garbage. That film got the Greenlight treatment. "Speakeasy" was the runner up in that contest. Everybody in this film gives excellent performances. It's great to see David Strathairn in a starring role. He gives a calm and interesting performance as Bruce Hickman. Stacy Edwards does a good job as his wife, Sophie. There really is no plot because this is a character study. It's really irritating that Miramax gives "Speakeasy" no chance for awards (Or An Audience) , but begs for them for "Cold Mountain".

In The End: It's definitely worth seeing and if you see it in a video store, don't pass it by.

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I just saw this and had to rent it. I still can't believe this piece of crap got made. Speakeasy really is bad. I hated the script and couldn't for the life of me get why PGL liked it so much. The script was weak, boring and needed A LOT of help.

I was eager to see this, because I figured PGL would develop the script. Naw, they just shot exactly what is on the page.

Battle of Shaker Heights and Stolen Summer are way better then Speakeasy. Although both of those have problems. I can't believe Live Planet optioned this over "Feeling Mr. Jiggs", "Kisses And Caroms", and many others that I read online.

Speakeasy is so forced and is filled with unrealistic events. Bruce crashes into Frank in one of the slowest and most methodically contrived car crashes ever caught on film. Luckily the LAPD is on hand to write a ticket to Bruce. Apparently in Los Angeles both parties need to go to court over an accident, Sorry, wouldn't happen. Nobody in LA goes to court over an accident, we go to Arbitrators for injury lawsuits. They make LA feel like a small town. Frank and Bruce land parking spaces right in the front of the court house, yeah right! Has the writer ever been to the judicial district in LA? Anyway, Frank and Bruce walk out of court and Frank's truck has a wheel boot on it because he parked in a Red zone. So Frank asks Bruce for a ride. We all know how nice Angelenos are, Sure I'll give the guy who I was just in court against a ride! NOT!

The rest of the movie is just as bad. The dog runs out of the house everyday. The wife is a mean nut for no reason. Luckily a successful published doctor is hot for the homely mean wife. The Magician wants to bond with the deaf and make music boxes for no reason. Frank owns the cleanest pawn shop in the world. Which is odd because he spends all his time in the back room making a jewelry box. All the pawn shops I've been in are dirty and grimy, but not this one.

Get this? Grampa's house is up for sale, but nothing is packed. Apparently Real Estate agents never bothered to inspect the house, otherwise they would have found Grampa's hidden secret.

I could go on and on. Bottom line. Speakeasy, is not easy to watch, it's Speakhard. Don't bother with this one.

Just saw it for the first time and loved the characters. This is a soft look at the feelings of those involved and deafness connects but so does music for those who can hear it and those who can't. The four main characters, the two couples, have different relationships and the accident that brought the two together is what starts a bond of realization about their lives and what is important to them. I love the father of the magician's wife. He is a devil and not as angry as he seems. He is an oddball in such a lovely way. So, there are silly things such as the secret the deaf dad is keeping and the empty streets in L.A. that is unreal. Those things can be overlooked because the movie isn't about them. It is about the characters, in particular Straitharn's role and that of his wife. They are changed forever by the chance meeting of the two men. I love the character studies so I give it an 8 for that reason alone. Very clever and loving. A very sweet film that I started to think was going to turn out bad with a very different ending for his wife and their marriage. Rent it. Worth it.