THE IMPOSTERS (United States)
A review by Mark R. Leeper in bullet-list form
from the Toronto Internation Film Festival
CAPSULE: Roughly 60 years after its heyday, the farce returns. Stanley Tucci wrote, directed, and stars in a very funny movie about two out of work actors on a boat. It is not exactly like Laurel and Hardy, not just like the Marx Brothers, but it is in that vein. And I did laugh, which is rare these days. Rating: 7 (0 to 10), 2 (-4 to +4)
- I first noticed Stanley Tucci in PRELUDE TO A KISS where I thought he was very funny. Since then I have been watching for him. But THE IMPOSTERS is like nothing he has made before and like very few films made since the 40s. The only other true farce I remember from recent year is BRAIN DONORS and that was almost entirely taken from the Marx Brothers school. THE IMPOSTERS is a new and very funny comedy team of Platt and Tucci. It is hard to know if comedy will be funny for other people. Currently people are laughing uproariously at THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY which did not do very much for me. Other films like OSCAR and THE CHEAP DETECTIVE crack me up but are not successful comedies at the boxoffice. So take it from whence it comes. THE IMPOSTERS did make me laugh very hard at times. Not many comedies make me laugh. - Tucci co-produced, wrote, directed, and starred in the film. - Cast includes Oliver Platt, Stanley Tucci, Alfred Molina, Lily Taylor, Steve Buscemi, Tony Shalhoub, Teagle, F. Bougere, Campbell Scott, and Isabella Rossellini. - The language and one or two modestly sexual situations are not in the classical farce tradition. - Out-of-work actors are given tickets to see HAMLET with a particularly hammy actor. When Maurice (Platt) insults the actor they are chased hide in a packing crate and find themselves loaded onto an ocean liner. From there a large number of subplots start working themselves out, GRAND HOTEL style with the help of Maurice and Arthur (Tucci). - Steve Buscemi sings??????? - Bizarre scenes as the two seem to get into a fight at an outdoor restaurant. - An unexpected and uncredited role near the beginning. - Campbell Scott as a German crewmember is very funny. - The shooting title was SHIP OF FOOLS. I saw that it was being filmed and expected a remake of the Catherine Anne Porter. Uh, not quite.
Mark R. Leeper
mleeper@lucent.com
Copyright 1998 Mark R. Leeper
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