STEAL BIG, STEAL LITTLE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 5.8
United States, 1995 U.S. Availability: 9/29/95 (wide) Running Length: 2:15 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Mature themes, mild profanity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Andy Garcia, Alan Arkin, Rachel Ticotin, Joe Pantoliano, Ally Walker, David Ogden Steirs, Charles Rocket, Kevin McCarthy Director: Andrew Davis Producers: Andrew Davis and Fred Caruso Screenplay: Andrew Davis & Lee Blessing and Jeanne Blake & Terry Kahn Cinematography: Frank Tidy Music: William Olves U.S. Distributor: Savoy Pictures
Movies, like literature, have always been fascinated with twins--especially when one sibling is good and the other is evil. Unfortunately, there's only so far this premise can be stretched, and, over the years, Hollywood has managed to milk it for all it's worth. Every once in a while, someone like David Cronenberg comes along with a unique angle (DEAD RINGERS). Most of the time, however, we get something vapid like the Danny DeVito/Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. In STEAL BIG, STEAL LITTLE, an affable but too-long dramatic comedy from THE FUGITIVE director Andrew Davis, twins are, as usual, convenient devices upon which to hang a stale plot.
Considering that one of the strengths of THE FUGITIVE was its tight pacing, it's an unpleasant surprise that STEAL BIG, STEAL LITTLE plods aimlessly towards a predictable conclusion. This film is horribly edited, resulting in a finished production that clocks in at a bloated one-hundred thirty-five minutes. This is epic length for a picture that is anything but an epic. Cutting away a half hour and eliminating at least two of several extraneous subplots would almost certainly have made this film more appealing.
Andy Garcia, who has shown a distressing lack of range over his last several projects, quickly makes it apparent that he's not the best choice for either Reuben or Robby Martinez. When playing nice-guy Reuben, he comes across as listless rather than angelic. As the nasty Robby, his sneer isn't vicious enough. Garcia doesn't quite manage to bring either of his personalities to life, and this hurts the execution of an already weak script.
The story revolves around Reuben--the generous, caring brother whose honesty and faithfulness to his foster mother have led to his being the sole beneficiary of her will. Following her death, Reuben becomes the owner of a forty-thousand acre ranch--property he is more than happy to share with the immigrant workers who tend to the lemon orchards. Robby, on the other hand, has been cut off altogether because of past misdeeds. However, since he believes the land to be rightfully his, and has made plans to sell it to developers, he begins an underhanded campaign to regain the property from his twin. At first, Reuben thinks it's all an elaborate game, and by the time he realizes Robby is in earnest, it's too late.
The salvation of STEAL BIG, STEAL LITTLE are superb comic performances by Alan Arkin (as Reuben's friend and advisor, Lou Perilli) and Joe Pantoliano (as Reuben's double-crossing lawyer). Hilarious turns by these two resuscitate a lot of uninspired material. The film may seem to last forever, but at least we have Arkin and Pantoliano along for most of the ride, and their presence alleviates a great deal of potential boredom.
Aside from the length, the biggest fault in STEAL BIG, STEAL LITTLE is that it's a retread. The story is basically about the importance of family and community, and how good-intentioned underdogs can triumph over the corrupt forces of big business. How many times have we seen this done before, and better? Occasional scenes of madcap humor add a momentary spark to the predictable proceedings, but there's never enough outrageousness to start a fire. STEAL BIG, STEAL LITTLE has moments when it shines--most of which feature either Arkin or Pantoliano -- but these aren't enough to justify the excessive running time. Despite a laudable message and an innocuous plot, this film is simply too long to be worth sitting through.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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