Things Change
Dealing With The Mob Is Always A Gamble.
Don Ameche and Joe Mantegna shared the Best Actor Award at the 1988 Venice International Film Festival for their work in this acclaimed comedy by David Mamet.
Jerry (Mantegna), a misfit Mafia henchman, seems destined for low level jobs like keeping an eye on Gino (Ameche), a shoe repairman fingered by the Mob to confess to a murder he didn't commit.
But Things Change when Gino is mistaken for a Mafia boss and the two are suddenly catapulted to the highest levels of mobster status...a dangerous adventure that only friendship will see them through alive!
Member Reviews
A Sweet Film - MacAskill
This is an unusual movie, especially coming from David Mamet during a more aggressive period in his career. Although it deals with the mob and how they handle complications in their lives. Which is to say, it has all the mob sensibilities, and yet takes a slightly different tack in telling a story of an unlikely friendship between two very different men. A quiet but satisfying movie.too theatrical - jaz
It's very easy to fall on both sides of the fence on this one simultaneously. One the one hand, this film is full of talent. David Mamet is an extraordinary writer and he teams up with two great actors in Joe Montegna and Don Ameche. The storyline is a decent, light-hearted twist on the mob genre and buddy flick and for a comedy has a very dramatic and humbling ending. On the other hand, I found myself wanting to like the movie for these elements more than actually liking the movie itself. A lot of people have talked about Ameche's strong, silent performance in this. I can see where they're coming from, but I just felt it didn't work. At times, it can feel like a painfully slow pantomime. His accent is exaggerated and his performance very theatrical.
And the same can be labelled on the film. It is VERY theatrical. Long takes of the characters talking dominate the film and unless what they are saying is very funny or very interesting it doesn't work, especially for a comedy. And it's dramatic elements don't save it either. It's way too unbelievable in it's plot and performances. William H Macey, great actor that he is, is completely laughable in this (and not in a good way).
Ultimately, it's too slow for a comedy and too ridiculous for a drama and so it falls into this no man's land of film. This film is not terrible. It's storyline and the sympathy you feel for the characters do rescue the film from hitting rock bottom. But there's not much else to really call for a recommendation.The more things change... - johnn_b
This is a rather gentle little movie about friendship, which is only strange because it is a mobster story. There are good reasons to see it; early-career appearances by William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman and J.T.Walsh are a good place to start. Don Ameche's very strong, nearly silent performance is a master's class in effective acting, and for the redoubtable Joe Mantegna, a career-making role. David Mamet, master of dialogue, teamed up with Shel Silverstein, children's author and songwriter, and it reflects well on them both. The story and the plot twists don't add up to much, but the performances are wonderful.
Member Reviews
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A Sweet Film - MacAskill
This is an unusual movie, especially coming from David Mamet during a more aggressive period in his career. Although it deals with the mob and how they handle complications in their lives. Which is to say, it has all the mob sensibilities, and yet takes a ...too theatrical - jaz
It's very easy to fall on both sides of the fence on this one simultaneously. One the one hand, this film is full of talent. David Mamet is an extraordinary writer and he teams up with two great actors in Joe Montegna and Don Ameche. The storyline is a ...The more things change... - johnn_b
This is a rather gentle little movie about friendship, which is only strange because it is a mobster story. There are good reasons to see it; early-career appearances by William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman and J.T.Walsh are a good place to start. Don Ameche's ...