Les amateurs

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'.

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.

This is the 2nd film I've seen Vincent Gallo (the other one was `Buffalo 66' which was decent) act in, and I have to say this guy picks perfect roles. You forget the guy is acting, and that's the mark of a craftsman. He ends up in my favorite scene of the movie where his neighbor playfully starts a last call strip-tease after he returns home one night. Gallo this time plays Russell, who along with his buddies, do their best to bounce off the outer rim of social responsibility by tackling the next level of semi-professional burglary. Russell should have learnt long ago that you need to lock the bedroom door or something s****y is bound to happen. The performances are compelling and the writing is convincing. Above all, it's a very funny film. There are some good lines and unforgettable scenes (the moments at the dinner table come to mind). So yeah, you end up laughing more than you expected but the movie `Palookaville' actually does what it's supposed to do; it moves you. You care about what happens to these guys because they are learning more about themselves than you expect them to. As a result you don't really want this one to end early. Remember… if you ever see a legally blind person trying to board a bus with not one but two guide dogs, the small one's in training.

In the vein of "Small Time Crooks" and "Trapped in Paradise," "Palookaville" tells the story of three screw-up, would-be criminals (Forsythe, Gallo and Trese) and their quest for the perfect crime. The film opens with a foiled jewelry store robbery that find the trio in a bakery instead of its neighboring store. The whole situation is goofy in an endearing way, especially when we find Trese crouched on the floor, hiding from police yet all the while chowing down doughnuts and brownies. With this film, Parker creates a familiar oddball trio with, while not completely appealing personalities, an overall charming combination. Forsythe's seriousness plus Gallo's wit and Trese's goofiness makes a film that made me laugh out loud and left me smiling, but in an independent rather that cheesy way. Definitely recommended.

A comedy about a three friends that plan to make a profitable crime. Sounds fun. But the truth: I was bored. There were some moments that were truly funny like the beginning where they accidentally rob a bakery and steal sweets. And at the end when they try to rob an armored truck and the outcome. But honestly everything between was boring to me. Each one had their own dramatic story on why they should take a "life of crime", which contained no humor or heart. I could care less for these guys except William Forsythe whom had dogs in the movie. Everyone likes dogs. A suggestion: check out "Bottle Rocket". Somewhat the same plot but tons more funny.