Video Store Irvine
Feb 24-Mar 2, 2002
By Holly J Wagner
Pete Thompson (Ifans) is a complete hedonist who never appreciates what he has. The spoiled son of a well-to-do businessman, he goofs off all day and parties all night while diligent friend and coworker Sean (Fiennes) takes care of business. Pete seems to get everything he wants, including women, effortlessly - except he and perfect wife Sarah can't conceive.
Pete's hapless ways don't change when his father dies unexpectedly and leaves him the company. He knows he should share it with Sean but goes on living his wild life and pursuing fertility with expensive doctors.
When a 500,000 tax bill arrives, he has no idea what to do. Embittered Sean introduces him to Russian mobsters to get the money, but he also has his own agenda that puts Pete through the wringer before the two have a final showdown.
Throughout this tale is woven another story of the mobsters' ruthlessness - told mostly to illustrate what awaits Pete if he steps out of line - until the tales converge. The mobsters are played for camp and even the comic book styling of the sets and lighting is designed to make them larger than life.That's partly why Pete's involvement with the mob boss' daughter is hard to believe, even if his womanizing isn't.
The dual story line makes this film disjointed and difficult to get into. Once you're there, it's the little things about the movie, the interactions and wisecracks, that are entertaining. It's amusing because the characters stay true to themselves no matter how bizarre the circumstances get.
The story is too ridiculous to believe but not quite comic enough to be A Fish Called Wanda, despite Pete's neuroses and a few funny scuffles with his precious vial of sperm at stake.This pic also doesn't hesitate to play its humor against violence that's pretty graphic, even when that's played for camp as well.
SELLING POINTS: Fiennes fans will rent it for his entertaining performance and anyone who liked Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels should like this also. Play this one with other off-kilter gangster movies like Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty, or even Married to the Mob; it also has a lot in common with the Coen brothers' Barton Fink.
