American Cousins

I like the way this movie tackled the subject and how it played out on the screen.

While the two gangsters were very typical, cut from the same cloth one would expect them to be, and even willing to resolve problems the only way they knew how, still they were taught a valuable lesson. On the other hand, while yet maintaining their Italian roots, the 'cousins' were very much Irish and followed their own traditions and values. Following real life, sometimes the misguided perceptions of those outside of a group can be so pervasive, that even those belonging to that same group adopt those ideas about themselves. They then turn around and judge their peers within the group using the same measuring stick, wrong as it is. Anyone who strays away from that is looked at as strange or even worse ostracized. The 'stamp collecting' scene is one good example of this.

Otherwise the movie was good with competent acting. The subtlety of the emotions of the characters as they progressively learned more about themselves from their cousins was quite well done by the lead actors - even Dan Hedaya toned down some of the usual facial Dan Hedayaisms. While it was based on the same love triangle theme seen a jillion times before, it was done differently here and in a unique setting - at least to us North Americans. Check it out.

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.

actually i'd give it 7.5 out of 10, but IMDb don't do fractions.

its an unusual film. beautifully made, unformulaic, and as good as a rom-com as any. both leads are not your normal romantic leading types, but shirley henderson and gerald lepowskiw have good chemistry. henderson is a very underrated actress. somehow, film feels very nourish, probably because its set in Glasgow, Scotland.

the ending's somewhat rushed, but altogether pretty impressive for a debut.

not quite shallow grave or trainspotting, but i'd rather watch this than any of the blockbuster Hugh Grant vehicles from Working Title

'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.)

Two American Mafiosi are forced to lay-low with nice-guy Scottish cousin Bobby after a job in Eastern Europe goes badly wrong. Then one of them takes a liking to Bobby's girl, the other clashes with a local hood, and Bobby finds his world collapsing round him...

This extremely likeable movie is in the tradition of "Local Hero", with the comedy emerging naturally from the interplay of sympathetic, fully-drawn characters rather than gags thrown randomly into a pre-fabricated mould.

The romantic entanglements are also nicely drawn and paced. These seem like real people here, with real flaws and real feelings.

Great performances from Scottish actors Gerald Lepkowski, Shirley Henderson and Russell Hunter, and the American Cousins of the title, Danny Nucci (Titanic), Dan Hedaya (The Hurricane, Mulholland Drive) and Vincent Pastore (The Sopranos) add Hollywood sparkle.

One of those movies which remind you why you fell in love with cinema in the first place.