Jim Colucci
I just saw this film in its 2005 re-release. It's really a fun little film, with quite a few laughs and lots of great moments among a really amazing, well-chosen cast.It's so much smarter than the average Hollywood film -- which may have been its problem when released?! Who knows why studios do what they do -- and apparently, they didn't do this film justice in 1998 (after all, it has an ensemble cast where -- gasp -- no one is under 30!)As both a writer and an Italian-American, I got perhaps an extra kick out of the story, which is about survival in Hollywood for these four actor characters and their families -- but the film's humor and theme of friendship is truly universal.
LilyDaleLady
A not too bad effort at chronicling the life and hard times of barely working character actors in Los Angeles. I never know when I check out one of these low budget indies if I am going to be pleasantly surprised or grievously disappointed, so it's always nicer to be the first.Some fine character actors on display, including David Straithairn, Amy Madigan, Adam Arkin, Beverly D'Angelo and an uncredited Bill Murray (pre-Lost in Translation). The story is a little light, even for a comedy, and doesn't really hit many strong notes, but it's nice to see something about those actors whose faces are always familiar to us and yet we rarely know their names. There is a particularly nice turn at the end, when each actor auditions for a "dream part" in a Scorcese film (the elusive goal driving the plot), and we suddenly see them as talented professionals, not goofballs and losers. This is very well done and a nice, satisfying end to the film.If there is a major flaw -- and this is a flaw in a lotta movies -- these marginally successful actors are all depicted as living like Hollywood royalty. Big, stylish houses that would cost upwards of $1 million in So Cal! And yet these actors are clearly described as "out of work", sometimes for over a year. Get real! A real out-of-work character actor is probably living in a one bedroom apartment and lucky if he doesn't have a roommate at that! Still, as someone else wrote, it's nice anymore these days to see a movie about something besides a giant monster, space alien, things blowing up or CGI graphics. So thumbs up!
dilbert
and actors don't get any smaller than this handful of marginal character actors in LA who are falling all over each other, stabbing each other in the back, lying, cheating, threatening, and deceiving in order to get cast in the lead role in a new Scorsese film. And they're all friends!This is a wonderful film. It's funny, the acting is excellent (I particularly liked Adam Arkin), and the climax is something you just don't see coming. A lot of the humor is film industry insider stuff, but most people who get out occasionally will get most of it. Watch for this one - it won't be around long if it comes around at all.
Wally-2
This is a thoroughly entertaining film. It was received very well at the Santa Barbra International Film Festival. I hope it gets distribution Real Soon Now.